The Hunger Games - A Hunter's Tale
by jackg723
Summary: What if Katniss' parents had had a third, middle child? How the hunger games story may have gone down if Katniss and Prim had a brother.
1. Chapter 1

_**A Basic disclaimer applies to this story. I can only claim credit for the characters of Rowan Everdeen and Jessica Wells, the rest of the characters and the story can be credited to Suzanne Collins and the wonderful Hunger Games universe that she created. There are also a handful of situations where dialogue is either very similar or exactly the same as in Suzanne Collins work.**_

**Chapter 1**

The sound of a light breeze meets my ear as I steady my left arm. The rabbit in my sights suddenly looks in my direction and our eyes meet. It tries to run but it's too late, the arrow has already left my bow and one second later it has pierced the animal's throat.

"Nice shot Rowan, you may be able to challenge me for the title of best archer in district 12 yet!"

My older sister Katniss is just returning from checking our snares and must have witnessed the whole thing.

"Well I did get taught by the best, sis. Good haul from the snares?" I ask.

"Pretty good, three squirrels and two rabbits. I picked up some strawberries from the patch as well, we should go and see if Madge will trade for some" suggests Katniss.

Madge Undersee is the daughter of the District mayor and is Katniss' best friend. Ever since we found out that strawberries are her favourite we've been taking some to her to trade as often as we can, and as today is reaping day it only seems fitting.

We walk through the woods, back to the fence that surrounds district 12 – careful to listen for any sign of an electric current – and scoot under as quickly as we can, lest a peacekeeper be wandering close by. Heading through the meadow, Katniss stops to pick a dandelion before we continue on through the seam towards town.

"You know, father always loved dandelions. He always said that they were the first sign of the seasons turning and gave hope to those that were starving." I comment.

Katniss gets an odd expression on her face, almost serene. It's nice, almost as if a weight has been lifted from her shoulders, but her signature scowl returns quickly. Ever since father died in the mine explosion seven years ago, Katniss has been very guarded and rarely lets herself do anything fun. I suppose that it's rubbed off on me slightly as people often say I don't smile enough. My sister and I just have different priorities than those people.

We arrive at the mayor's house and knock twice on the front door. I can hear piano music drifting through the house, but it stops abruptly and is replaced by rapid footsteps. Madge appears at the door slightly flustered with her curly blonde hair loose down to her shoulders. She's wearing a white dress that is clearly Capitol made and I noticed a golden pin attached at the breast. She looks pretty.

"Oh! Hello Katniss, Rowan. What can I do for you?" asks Madge.

"We brought some strawberries, we thought you'd appreciate them considering it's reaping day and all" I say.

"You know I would appreciate strawberries any day of the year Rowan" replies Madge with a smile. "Let me go and get something to trade. Come in and sit down if you'd like."

Katniss and I walk in and sit down on the sofa while Madge goes to find some coins I presume. It's the first time I've been inside, the house is much larger than most in the district and is full of paintings and ornaments. One painting in particular catches my eye, it's of the meadow that I walk through almost every day to get to the woods. The detail is incredible.

"That painting is amazing" I say to Katniss, pointing it out. "I bet the Undersees had to pay a fortune to get that commissioned at the Capitol".

"Oh, that one of the meadow? I don't think so, Peeta Mellark did that painting so they probably didn't have to pay an awful lot for it" mentions Katniss.

Peeta Mellark is the son of the district baker and is in the same year as Katniss at school. I don't really know him, but he seems friendly with pretty much the entire district. We sometimes trade with him when we go to the bakery if his father is busy with something else. He's just got one of those infectious personalities I suppose.

I'm surprised that Katniss knows that Peeta did this painting. She never seemed particularly friendly with him, but I'm sure he would be thrilled to know that Katniss had admired his artwork. I've seen the looks that he gives her and I can't say I'm entirely thrilled by them.

"Really? Wow, he's got some talent. Maybe he should give up baking and paint for a living" I say sarcastically. You'd never survive off the back of selling paintings in district 12.

Katniss gives a half-hearted scoff as Madge returns. She drops three coins into Katniss' hands which she thanks her for, and we leave after wishing each other luck for the reaping. Katniss goes off toward the bakery with two squirrels and gives the rest of the game to me to trade at the hob. The hob is the black market of district 12, and being located on the outskirts of the seam, is largely ignored by peacekeepers.

I manage to get a large canister of soup from greasy Sae and some medicinal herbs for my mother and Prim's stock. Primrose is my younger sister and is probably the sweetest girl in the district. At fourteen, she is only two years younger than me, but I always worry so much for her on reaping day. I expect that she's curled up with mother or our cat buttercup right now. At sixteen, I have faced four reapings already, but it never gets any easier seeing Prim walk up to sign in and stand, waiting for a name to be read out.

I finally get back to our house in the seam and find that Katniss has already returned with two loaves of bread and six cheese buns.

"Baker feeling generous today?" I ask her.

"I traded with Peeta actually, and it's reaping day so everyone is feeling sentimental" says Katniss.

"I'm sure that's it" I respond sarcastically. I get a scowl from Katniss and Prim lets out a giggle from behind me. I turn around just in time to see a blur of blonde hair and blue eyes running towards me. I pick her up into a tight hug.

"Hey little sis, how're you doing today? I got you and mum some herbs at the hob" I tell her.

"Thanks Rowan, they'll come in handy! I'm feeling scared though, what if they pick me?" whispers Prim.

"Don't worry about that little duck, your names only in the bowl three times it won't be you. I won't let them pick you" states Katniss. I get the meaning behind her words and nod in agreement.

Prim lets out a small sigh and tells me that I need to go and get ready for the reaping. When I get to my room, I find that mother has chosen a shirt for me and laid it out on my bed. I get changed quickly and then try to flatten my hair out but it's useless. My scruffy short brown hair just won't stay in place. Mother says I get it from father.

It's half passed one by the time we all leave for the town square. Mother joins Katniss, Prim and I and we walk side by side; the Everdeen family. It takes us fifteen minutes to get there and we queue up to sign in. I notice my friend Jack in front of me, but he's so nervous he doesn't even see me.

I get my blood sample taken and walk over to the boy's side of the square. Katniss and Prim go over to the girl's side and I feel relief that Prim at least has Katniss to comfort her at this time. I take my place and wait for the inevitable circus that is Effie Trinket. She's our district escort and is a stereotypical Capitol resident with outrageous fashion and a hysterical accent.

Right on cue, Effie exits the Justice Hall and walks towards the microphone on the stage.

"Welcome, welcome! Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour!" spouts Effie. She says this every year. Next up is the treaty of treason that explains the rules of the Hunger Games:

"_"In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male and a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public "reaping". These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of the Capitol. And then transferred to a public arena, where they will fight to the death until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games."_

That is the hunger games. Every year, two children from each district – a boy and a girl - are reaped and sent to fight to the death. That is how sick the Capitol is. At eighteen years old, this is Katniss' last reaping. I say a silent prayer for my family and friends before Effie continues.

"As usual, ladies first" says Effie. She walks over to the bowl that is full of girl's names and struggles to pull a piece of paper out. Once she does, she walks back to the microphone and unfolds the paper.

"Jessica Wells!" shouts Effie

Relief immediately washes over me. It's not Katniss or Prim. Katniss is safe forever! I see Jessica walking up towards the stage. She's the year above me in school and is the butcher's daughter. She looks absolutely terrified. Considering that she's only about 5'3" with a skinny frame, I can't imagine she thinks that she'll have much of a chance. She has her blonde hair up in a bun and tries to look strong as she climbs the steps. That's probably smart.

"Excellent! Congratulations Jessica on becoming the latest female tribute for district 12. I'm sure everyone here in this crowd will be routing for you" Effie thinks aloud. "Okay, now for the boys."

Effie walks over to the boy's bowl and quickly picks up a slip of paper. As she walks back over to the microphone, silence falls over the crowd. Effie unfolds the slip and reads the name.

"Rowan Everdeen" announces Effie.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Time freezes momentarily. I still don't believe it, that's my name, she can't have read my name. I think I hear a scream from somewhere in the crowd but I can't be sure. Maybe it was Prim. Dread, absolute dread is what I feel. I'm going to die at the age of sixteen. My hands are shaking, this isn't good at all. I feel like running away. Katniss and I have thought about the possibility of running away and living in the woods with family and friends before, but we've always agreed that it wouldn't work. Oh how I wish we had now.

Finally I pull myself together and start to walk up to the stage. I'm sure I'll look shocked on the replay of the reaping tonight. I force myself into a blank expression as I climb the stairs and as I look back into the crowd I spot Katniss and Prim. It breaks my heart. Prim has been crying and is clinging on to Katniss for dear life whilst Katniss looks like she's about to throw up. Effie tells me and Jessica to shake hands, so we do and then we're ushered into the Justice Building where we'll have one hour to say our goodbyes.

I'm shown to a room in the Justice Building and the door is shut behind me by the peacekeepers. I sit down on the sofa in the middle of the room and stare at the wall in quiet contemplation while waiting for any visitors.

First to enter, of course, are Katniss, Prim and my mother. Prim runs straight over to me and jumps onto the sofa giving me a big hug.

"I can't believe this is happening, it's not fair!" cries Prim.

"It never is little sis, none of this is fair for anyone, it's just the way it is" I reply.

"You've got to win Rowan, you're strong and fast and Katniss has taught you how to hunt. You can do it, I don't want you to die!" says Prim. She's almost hysterical at this point.

"Of course I'll try Prim, you're right, maybe I can win. Then I'll come home and we can live in the Victor's Village. Imagine how rich we'd be!" I say.

"I don't care about that, I just want my brother to come home" Prim says.

Katniss has come over to sit on the sofa next to me by this point. She looks white as a sheet.

"Rowan, you know I would have volunteered for you if I could. But Prim's right, you can win this thing. You're the best hunter I know, other than me of course" says Katniss. I chuckle at this comment, it's typical of mine and Katniss' relationship. "You've just got to show them how good you are, that will get you sponsors for sure. Remember all of the snares that I've taught you as well, and find water, that's crucial!" she advises.

Now Katniss is hugging me as well, Katniss never gives hugs so I'm surprised at first but I quickly return the hug.

"Don't worry Katniss, I'm going to try my hardest to come home to district 12. But if I don't make it I…" I start.

"Don't talk like that Rowan, you're going to make it home. You're going to win" cries Katniss. Now she's crying as well.

"Okay" is all I can say in response. I stand up and walk over to mum, she has tears in her eyes and she opens her arms to me. I fall into them and we stay like that for I don't know how long. Katniss and Prim join us.

"My baby" mum cries. "My baby, you're so brave. I love you so much, always remember that no matter what"

Now I'm crying as well and we're all saying that we love each other, when we're interrupted by a peacekeeper. Their time is up, we say a final goodbye and I can hear Prim crying as she walks down the stairs back towards the square.

Next in is my friend Jack, we have most classes together and are both on the school football team. He seems to be steadier than he was earlier, but his face is solemn and I can tell that he's struggling with what to say.

"Rowan, I can't believe that they chose you. I mean I always knew there was a chance but never thought it would actually happen" he says.

"I know, I still don't think it's sunk in yet. I don't know if I can do this Jack. I mean, I've killed animals, but people… I just don't know" I say.

"You can't think like that if you want to win this thing Rowan, how different can it actually be? If anyone from this District can win, it's you. You just need to be resourceful and maybe get a little bit of luck" replies Jack.

"Maybe, but the odds haven't exactly been in my favour recently" I laugh.

Jack and I just sit in silence for the rest of the time until the peacekeepers return. I'm just glad to have familiar company right now, although I can't think of anyone else that might come to see me. I'm not exactly popular. So when the door opens again and Madge Undersee steps in, I can't help but look a little surprised.

"Madge, I wasn't expecting you" I blurt out. She raises her eyebrow at me.

"You weren't? But you're my favourite strawberry delivery man, why wouldn't I come and see you off?" She replies, her voice surprisingly steady. She starts walking towards me and I get a weird feeling in my stomach. I also realise that I'm fidgeting and quickly stop.

"Oh, I didn't realise that you liked them so much" I say, rather lamely.

"Maybe it isn't just the strawberries that I like" she replies. My mind starts to run wild, is she talking about me? I've always thought that Madge was pretty but I never thought that I'd have a chance with her in that way. She's a year and a half older than me and the mayor's daughter! Suddenly, Madge pulls a golden pin off her dress and hands it to me.

"Will you wear this, in the arena? It was my Aunt Maysilee's pin, she wore it when she went in and I want you to have it. Please will you wear it, for me?" says Madge.

"Madge, I don't know. This must mean a lot to you if it's your Aunt's, I wouldn't want to lose it" I reason.

"Well, then you'll just have to give it back when you come home" Madge states simply. She leans forward and attaches the pin to my shirt. Then, all of a sudden Madge leans up and her lips meet mine. She brings her hands up to the back of my head and deepens the kiss. My hands find her waist and I pull her closer in so that our bodies are touching. I'm so lost up in this glorious moment that I don't even hear the peacekeeper open the door.

"Time's up" says the peacekeeper sharply. Madge pulls away and looks directly into my eyes for what seems like an eternity. She puts her lips right next to my left ear.

"Come back Rowan" she whispers.

The kiss, and then the simplicity of Madge's request momentarily make me forget about the impending death match that I am soon to be thrust into and a genuine smile falls across my face for the first time in what seems like ages. Madge returns the smile, and then she's gone.

It doesn't feel real. In the last twenty minutes, I've been reaped for the hunger games and kissed Madge Undersee. I sit alone for the next forty minutes lost in my thoughts. Do I really have a chance in these games? What should my strategy be? Will I ever see my family again? Does Madge really like me? She must if she kissed me. Suddenly, I'm being escorted out the back of the Justice Building and get ushered into a car. I see Jessica for the first time since the reaping and she looks like she's been crying.

The car journey is made in silence, what can we say to each other? We're being put against each other in a battle to the death, it's probably best not to build any comradery. We reach the train station and get out of the car. Effie is there already to greet us.

"Jessica, Rowan! How nice to meet you properly for the first time. I'll be showing you around the train before we sit down for dinner with your mentor a bit later. Come, follow me" says Effie.

Jessica and I follow Effie into the train and I am immediately stunned by the extravagant decour and technology. There are doors that open automatically upon approach, all of the furnishings seem to be of the finest quality and the speed that the train gets to, almost immediately, is absurd.

"These trains are from the Capitol, especially made for transport for the Hunger Games. They reach over 200mph, isn't that fascinating?!" exclaims Effie. "Now let me show you to your rooms, I'm sure you're dying to see them." The irony of Effie's statement seems to be lost on her, I can tell that Effie Trinket is definitely going to get on my nerves during my stay in the Capitol. Jessica's room is first and she is left to her own devices while Effie takes me to mine.

"Here you go Rowan. You'll find a whole host clothes in the wardrobe, feel free to wear whatever you want. I'd also suggest that you take a shower as well. Dinner is in one hour so meet in the dining carriage when you're done" explains Effie. Then she is gone.

I immediately seek out the shower as Effie suggested, I've heard of showers but have never had the opportunity to use one. When I enter the bathroom, I find that it's absolutely vast. I quickly strip down and jump into the shower, only to find out that I have no idea how to operate it. I try out a few random buttons and eventually get it going. It's luxurious, the warm water running over me feels amazing, and the soapy substances that get released smell divine. I'm not sure how long I'm in the shower for but it must have been a while, as by the time I'm out and getting dressed, Effie is knocking on my door telling me that I'm already five minutes late.

"Punctuality is of utmost importance" she states through the door. "I certainly hope that your table manners are better than your time keeping skills!"

Great, I'm already in Effie's bad books. Not that I mind, but it might be prudent to make her like me just in case she has any sway with potential sponsors. I quickly finish up dressing, and I suddenly wonder if Madge would like what I was wearing. When did I start to care about what clothes I was wearing? I find the golden pin that Madge gave me and pin it to the pale blue shirt that I picked. I notice for the first time that the pin is of a mockingjay, which instantly makes me think of Katniss and my father.

Mockingjays are birds that are able to mimic musical melodies and are common in the forest outside of District 12. Before the mining accident that we lost him in, my father used to take me and Katniss out to the meadow, or even out into the forest itself. He used to sing to the mockingjays and I always used to love listening to him. I don't have any musical talent myself. Katniss on the other hand does, and used to sing along with father. I haven't heard her singing since the mine explosion, and I'm sure it's because it pains her to remember father. I wonder why Maysilee had a pin of a mockingjay?

I quickly make my way through to the dining compartment where Effie, Jessica and Haymitch Abernathy are waiting for me. Haymitch is our district mentor and it's his job to do whatever he can to help us survive the games. He is in control of any sponsor money that we get and is also supposed to advise us through the days leading up to the arena. I was surprised not to see Haymitch at the reaping.

"Look who it is, decided to show up then? Thought you'd done a runner, boy" Haymitch pipes up. I notice that he's got a half empty bottle of wine next to him on the table. Great, a fat lot of help he'll be to me and Jessica if he's drunk the whole time.

"Sorry Haymitch, I was having so much fun in the shower that I completely lost track of time. At least I did show up in the end though" I say, hinting at the fact that he didn't show up to the reaping.

Haymitch narrows his eyes in my direction. "Very clever, now if only you could apply that brain when you're in the arena you might stand a chance of lasting the first day" replies Haymitch.

I decide to ignore him and take my seat next to Jessica. My eyes immediately find the enormous amount of food that's available. I'm surprised that the table can stand the weight of it all! I quickly grab a plate and start filling it with as much as I can and spot Jessica doing the same. I try something called beef, which is apparently from an animal called a cow bred in District 10, which I decide immediately is my new favourite meat. I also try a lamb stew which is delicious, and fill an entire plate of a roasted vegetable that are very sweet and I'm told are called parsnip.

When I've filled myself to the brim, I sit back in my chair and look towards Haymitch. Just as I'm about to open my mouth and ask him some questions, Effie speaks up.

"Well now that we're all finished with dinner, I think it's time we moved to the living room and watched the recaps of all of the reapings. Come on you two, follow me." Says Effie.

"What about Haymitch" I ask. "Is he not coming to watch with us, I have a few questions that I'd like to ask him."

"No I don't think so Rowan. You see, the reason that he didn't show up to the reaping is because he was passed out drunk in his house in Victor's Village, despicable manners I know! Anyway, it would be best to leave him alone tonight and ask your questions tomorrow, he's very irritable at the moment" explains Effie.

Just as I thought, our mentor is a useless drunk who has about as much chance of getting us sponsors as Prim would in these games. I grunt my disapproval and follow Effie and Jessica into the lounge. Effie turns the television on while Jessica and I sit down on the sofa. I notice that Jessica sits closer to me than she needs to. Maybe she's feeling lonely on this train with all the foreign technology and company, I know I am.

The replay of the reapings goes up from District 1 to District 12 in ascending order so ours will be last. From District 1, there's a tall boy called Antonis and a beautiful girl called Patina. They both look to be eighteen and I wouldn't be surprised if they had mastery of multiple weapons. District 2 brings up a behemoth of a boy called Abrax who volunteers as tribute and a sadistic looking girl called Petra. I wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of either of those two.

The rest of the reapings fly by with only a few other memorable tributes. The male from district 4 is called Nikon, but he doesn't look as enthusiastic as the district 4 tributes normally are, and from district 10 there is a tiny twelve year old girl who looks far too young to be involved in these games. She's two years younger than Prim and it shocks me to my core, I can't imagine how her family feels.

Once the replay is over, Effie sends Jessica and me to bed reminding us that we'll need to be up and about at 9am tomorrow morning in time for breakfast and arrival at the Capitol. On the way back to our bedrooms, I notice that Jessica seems agitated, so I decide to speak to her for the first time.

"Jessica, how are you feeling? I'm a bit overwhelmed by all of it really and I still don't think it's sunk in yet that I'm actually going into the games" I say. Jessica pauses to look at me before answering.

"I know what you mean, all of this luxury seems a bit silly really when I'm going to be dead in a matter of days" she replies.

"You shouldn't think like that. I did at first but you've got to have faith in yourself, don't give up just yet Jessica that's what the Capitol wants. Who knows, maybe we can get Haymitch to help us out, although we may have to burn his alcohol stash" I joke. Jessica visibly relaxes and gives me a gentle nod.

"Thanks Rowan, maybe you're right. I just feel out of my depth here, I mean I'm just a butchers daughter, I don't really have any skills that can help me in the arena. You're a hunter, I'd say you have a great chance of winning this thing. I hope you do if I can't, it will be better for my younger brother." says Jessica.

The District that the victor is from gets food deliveries every month until the next hunger games so it makes sense that Jessica would think this. I'm still worried that she seems to be giving up already though.

"Well I'm sure you know how to handle a knife from working in the butchers, that would be useful" I suggest.

"Maybe, but I'd have to get one first" says Jessica. A silence falls between us, although not an awkward one. We're just both lost in our thoughts.

"Thanks for the talk Rowan, it's nice to have something to remind me of home" Jessica comments. She turns around and walks towards her room. "Goodnight Rowan" she says as she opens her door.

"Goodnight Jessica" I say before turning around and walking to my own room for the night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Wake up Rowan, it's going to be a big, big, big day!"

The voice of Effie Trinket startles me from sleep and I'm momentarily confused by my surroundings. Then I remember that I'm on the train to the Capitol for the Hunger Games and suddenly wish that Katniss or Prim were here for me to talk to. I struggle out of bed and put on a fresh shirt and trousers, I don't bother with a shower.

Haymitch and Jessica are already in the dining carriage, although Effie is nowhere to be found. I take my seat next to Jessica again and start on breakfast.

"So Haymitch, you're supposed to give us advice" I suddenly say. He lets out a loud chuckle.

"So keen, here's some advice, stay alive!" replies Haymitch. I'm furious, he's making a joke out of our impending death. Before I can do anything though, Jessica speaks up.

"That's very funny, only not to us" she says, before lunging forward and knocking the drink out of his hand. Haymitch looks momentarily stunned. He quickly recovers and moves to pour another drink, but I get there first and throw the bottle against the wall of the carriage. Haymitch goes to punch me but I easily dodge his blow and pin his arm against his back.

"Well, well, well, do I actually have a pair of fighters this year? Release me boy and let me have a good look at you two" says Haymitch.

I release him and he tells us to stand up. He walks around us, taking us in.

"Well you certainly both seem fit and healthy, and obviously both have balls. Do either of you have any skills other than fast reflexes ?" he says, looking at me.

"I can hunt" I say "with a bow and arrow".

"You any good?" asks Haymitch.

"I'm alright, not as good as my sister though" I respond.

"Well that would certainly be helpful in the arena. I want you to stay clear of archery throughout training alright? Save it for the private session. What about you girl? You got any skills?" says Haymitch.

"Not really" replies Jessica, looking down at the ground. I decide to speak up.

"She works in the butchers so she's pretty good with a knife" I say. Jessica looks up at me and raises her eyebrow as if to ask me what I'm doing. "What? He needs to know what you can do, it could help" I explain.

"Show me" Haymitch says to Jessica. She walks to the table and picks up a knife. She positions herself and launches the knife towards the wall. It sticks perfectly in the grain between two panels. It's impressive.

"Okay, same for you sweetheart, stay away from knives until the private sessions. You both have something going for you so I'll make you a deal. You stay away from my alcohol and I'll stay sober enough to help you. Got it?" says Haymitch. I have a feeling that this is the best we'll get, so Jessica and I both nod in agreement. Just as we're about to sit back down to continue breakfast, I notice that we're pulling up to the Capitol. I rush over to the window to get a good look.

It's magnificent. There are so many colours that I didn't even know existed, some of the buildings are so big that I'm sure you could fit the whole of district 12 in them, and the people… well the people look odd. Some have their skin dyed in bright colours, others have tattoos and piercings over their entire bodies, and others have had their faces completely altered, with raised cheek bones, puffed lips and stretched skin.

The residents start to wave at us and I suddenly feel disgusted. They're applauding us and celebrating the fact that twenty four children are being put against each other in a death match. I walk away from the window, but Jessica stays there waving and smiling. I raise an eyebrow at her.

"What, one of them may be rich" she says. She has a good point, but I still can't bring myself to go back to the window. Maybe my talk with Jessica last night helped her out, she seems to have some sort of plan. The train comes to a stop and Effie finally makes her reappearance.

"Rowan, Jessica, come with me. It's time for you to meet your prep teams and stylists. It's their job to get you ready and make you look your best throughout the games" she tells us. Great, I hope they don't put makeup on me.

Jessica and I follow Effie out of the train and suddenly there are flashes everywhere. I notice that people in the crowd are taking pictures of us. I hear a few questions being shouted as well but I don't answer. Instead I just follow Effie until we get to what she calls the "remake centre." I'm ushered into a room where I'm told to wait for my prep team. I start wandering around, thinking about what they might do to me. The door suddenly opens and three women walk in who are obviously my prep team.

"Rowan, how nice to meet you, my name is Tetiana and I'll be leading your prep team" says a women with bright red hear styled into a bob. "These two women are Lana and Rosa."

I greet my prep team with as warm a smile as I can muster. All of their styles are as extravagant as the capitol residents that I saw from the train. Tetiana is rather plump for a capitol resident, Lana has so many tattoos that I'm not sure what her natural skin tone is and Rosa has had her entire skin dyed a pale red.

"Could you lie down on the table over there please Rowan" indicates Tetiana. "We've got to prepare you before we send in your stylist Portia. Oh you're going to look absolutely gorgeous!"

I roll my eyes and move over to the table as instructed. I end up having to strip down to my underwear before my prep team gets to work. They spend hours plucking body hair, rubbing ointment on my skin, giving me a haircut and numerous other things that I can't even describe. By the time they've finished I'm so relieved that I can't even muster the energy to complain.

My prep team have been gone for about 10minutes before I start to get concerned. Weren't they supposed to send in my stylist? I'm about to get up and look around for someone to ask when the door opens and a tall woman walks in that I presume is Portia.

"Hello Rowan, my name's Portia and I'll be your stylist for the duration of your stay at the capitol." She says.

She offers her hand out in greeting which I accept. There's something about Portia that I find rather soothing, maybe it's her voice or her soft smile.

"Hello, so it's your job to decide what I'll be wearing for the events leading up to the games then? Can you tell me what I'll be wearing for the tribute parade?" I ask.

This had been a concern of mine. Tributes are normally dressed in something that reflects the primary industry of their district, so for me and Jessica that is coal mining. It's never particularly impressive, one year they even sent the tributes out stark naked covered in black "coal dust".

"Cinna and I – Cinna is Jessica's stylist – have decided to change it up a bit this year. The usual coal miner outfits never seem to make an impact, so we've decided to focus more on the coal rather than the miner." States Portia.

That's interesting, I wonder where she's is going with this? How can they use coal as a theme that will make an impact at the parade?

"So tell me Rowan, you're not afraid of fire are you?" whispers Portia with a mischievous smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

This is either going to be the best tribute entrance ever or the biggest catastrophe in the history of the games. Cinna and Portia actually want to set me and Jessica on fire! Granted it's fake, but I've never seen anything like it and am not particularly trusting at the best of times.

I'm waiting next to the district 12 chariot dressed in a single black unitard with a cape attached. I also have a thin headdress, which along with the cape, is going to be ablaze while I'm paraded down the streets of the capitol.

I see Jessica walking towards the chariot and notice that she's in similar attire to me. I'm keen to get her opinion on the fake flames. But she brings it up before I even get the chance to.

"Hi Rowan, we're going to look amazing! What do you think about the flames?" asks Jessica.

"I don't know, are you sure they're safe? I don't want to be burned to a crisp before we even get into the arena!" I exclaim.

This brings a chuckle out of Jessica.

"Who would have known? Big bad hunter of district 12 is afraid of a little heat!" laughs Jessica annoyingly.

"I'm not afraid, I'm just concerned!" I defend.

"Whatever. Anyway, there's no need to worry. Cinna says that it's perfectly safe" responds Jessica.

As if on cue, Cinna appears at that moment and moves to activate mine and Jessica's flames.

"Brilliant, it works!" says Cinna.

Wait, what? He wasn't even sure that they would work. I glare at Jessica and she just giggles into her hand. I hope she stops doing that.

"Okay you two, up onto the chariot. You're going to be the stars of the show!" orders Cinna.

Jessica and I make it up onto the chariot just as district 11 are leaving. The horses start moving and all too soon we are riding down the main street towards the presidential mansion with what seems like the entire population of the capitol cheering for us. I sneak a look over at Jessica and I have to say that the flames look incredible.

I also notice that she is smiling and waving at the crowd. Right, we're supposed to endear ourselves to the capitol audience. I start to emulate Jessica and this seems to increase the volume of the crowd even further. Chants of "District 12", "We love you Jessica" and "Rowan, Rowan" can be heard and I'm inclined to agree with Cinna. We're certainly making an impact, more so than any District 12 tributes that I can remember.

By the time we reach the presidential mansion, I'm certain that we've made the biggest impression out of all the tributes. Cinna and Portia have definitely outdone themselves. I also notice some of the other tributes – particularly the ones from Districts 1 & 2 – staring daggers in our direction. I'm not sure what to make of that, but before I can react, Haymitch and Effie make their way over to our chariot.

"Great job you two, you'll be the talk of the capitol for sure! Nice touch with the smiling and waving as well" congratulates Haymitch.

"Thanks, they loved us, they were even chanting our names!" says Jessica excitedly.

"It's a good start, but don't get too ahead of yourself sweetheart. There's still a long way to go" says Haymitch.

"Oh come on Haymitch, they were fabulous! I'm sure that they've caught the eye of loads of potential sponsors already" argues Effie.

"Really? You think so?" asks Jessica.

"Maybe. But like I said, still a lot of work to do" replies Haymitch.

Haymitch certainly seems to be a bit less abrasive than usual, perhaps he will keep his word and stay as sober as he can in order to help us.

"So what now?" I ask

"Come with me, we're going to our living quarters now. As you're district 12, you'll be on the top floor!" Chirps Effie.

We all follow Effie to the elevator and ride it up to the 12th floor. The whole thing is made of glass and the ride up is so exhilarating that I almost ask Effie if we can do it again. The living quarters are even more vast than the train that we came to the Capitol on. You could probably fit our house in the seam in the dining room alone about 3 times!

Effie shows me and Jessica to our rooms and says that dinner will be in 1 hour. I collapse on my bed as soon as the door shuts. Today has been absolutely exhausting and I just want to curl up and forget about everything for a short while.

I start to think about home. Katniss, Prim, Madge, Jack. I wonder how they're all holding up. Did Katniss and Prim have the rabbits for dinner like we'd planned to? Did they all go to school today? I hope Madge liked the strawberries. I slip into a slumber and dream of an elegant piano melody and a soft summer's breeze in the woods.

"Rowan! Dinner is being served. Honestly, I thought we spoke about punctuality already!" screams Effie.

"I'm coming, I'm coming" I respond, while rapidly looking for a clean shirt to put on.

Everyone else is already at the table by the time I reach the dining room. I ignore Effie's accusing stare and take my seat next to Jessica. Once again, I begin to stuff myself with the huge amount of food available. I go straight for the beef and help myself to a heap of roast potatoes as well. After we're all done eating, I decide that it's the perfect time to talk to Haymitch.

"So Haymitch, what's the plan for tomorrow? Training starts right, how should we approach it? What weapons should we try out? Should we look for alliances?" I ask.

"Slow down boy! One question at a time. Now I already told you two to stay clear of the bow and the knives, don't forget that." responds Haymitch.

"Right" I respond.

"I think you should spend most of your time at the survival stations, learn some new skills. Starting fires, snares, making shelter, locating water... All of that kind of stuff is worth the time you spend on it in gold" advises Haymitch.

I nod in agreement. I already know how to use a bow proficiently and according to Haymitch they're likely to provide one if I show them how good I am in the private session. However, I won't last long without food, water or shelter.

"What about alliances? Should we look for any?" I ask next.

"I don't think so, especially not you Rowan. As a hunter, you'll work best alone. Other people will just slow you down or highlight where you are to other tributes – intentional or not" replies Haymitch.

Again, this advice from Haymitch makes perfect sense. Unless my ally was as experienced as me they would likely slow me down. If only Katniss were here, she'd be the perfect ally. Obviously I'm glad she's not here. I sneak a look over at Jessica, she's looking down at the floor seemingly unsure about something.

"What about Jessica, do you think that she should look for allies?" I ask.

"Perhaps, if the opportunity arises I definitely wouldn't be against an alliance for you Jessica. Scout out for potential allies tomorrow during training and report back if anyone looks like they would be interested" says Haymitch.

"I don't think that will work. It's normally only the career districts that form alliances and it's not like I've got a chance at getting in with them" sighs Jessica.

"You never know, alliances have been formed outside of Districts 1, 2 & 4 before. No harm in scouting" replies Haymitch.

"Sure, I'll let you know" says Jessica.

Some of Jessica's enthusiasm from earlier seems to have dissipated, maybe the reality of the games has started to sink in for her now that we're discussing it so openly. I try to catch her gaze to give her a reassuring smile but she's fixated on her half eaten chocolate tart.

"One last thing. If you're up for it Rowan, I think you should go round with Jessica tomorrow and help her out on the survival stations. I know that you probably know a lot of it already and it might be an idea to pass on some of that knowledge. You never know what might arise in the arena, you could end up needing to help each other out" suggest Haymitch.

Jessica perks up at this comment from Haymitch. I give him a questioning look.

"I thought you said you didn't think I should form alliances?" I question. I glance over at Jessica and she looks somewhat hurt at my comment. I kind of regret it now but I need to know what Haymitch's thinking is.

"Well I assume that you'd rather Jessica won than one of those arrogant kids from Districts 1 & 2 right? This way you'll be helping her out, giving her a better chance if you don't make it. It doesn't mean you'll be sticking together in the arena. Of course, if you'd like to train individually…" says Haymitch.

"No, you're right. You can stick with me tomorrow Jessica, I'll show you how to catch yourself some food" I say in a lighter tone.

"Thanks Rowan, just let me know if I'm messing up your training" replies Jessica.

"Right, now that that's sorted I think you two should head off to bed. You'll need to be rested for your tough day tomorrow. Meet Effie at the elevator at 10am" orders Haymitch.

Jessica and I move to our rooms and say a quick goodnight before closing the doors. I have a quick shower before lying down and drifting to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Wake up! It's going to be a big, big, big day!" sings Effie as an accompaniment to relentless knocking on my door.

I look over to the alarm clock on my bedside table; 9:00am. One hour until the first training session. I decide against a shower and get dressed into the training outfit that someone must have left on my chest of drawers last night – Portia I presume. It's similar to the unitard I wore for the parade, but it has a bit more breathing room.

I find that no one is in the dining room when I arrive, except one of the waiters. I ask him if it's okay if I serve myself and he nods his head. Maybe they're not allowed to speak to the tributes. I fill my plate with eggs and bacon as well as grabbing a cup of coffee. I've almost finished it all by the time anyone else arrives, and then it's just Jessica.

"Good morning" she smiles at me.

"Good morning. You ready for training?" I ask.

"Not really, I'm kind of nervous to meet the other tributes to be honest. They all looked so big at the parade" she mentions.

"Don't worry, we'll just stick to the survival stuff. The careers will probably be looking to intimidate by using the weapons, just ignore them" I suggest.

"Easier said than done" Jessica remarks.

Jessica goes for a bowl of cereal and eggs on toast, which she consumes almost as quickly as me. I guess that's what a lifetime of starvation will do to you. When we're both finished, I ask the same waiter from before whether we need to put our plates anywhere. He looks mortified that I even asked and quickly begins to shake his head frantically. I raise my eyebrow at Jessica but she just shakes her head and suggests that we should move towards the elevator.

"What was up with that waiter?" I wonder aloud.

"I don't think that we're really supposed to interact with them, they get punished further. At least that's what Cinna said" answers Jessica.

"Punished further? What do you mean?" I question.

"They're Avoxs Rowan, didn't you know?" Jessica replies.

"Oh, I guess that explains his reaction earlier as well then. I didn't even realise!" I say.

Avoxs are people that have been traitorous towards the Capitol. They have their tongue's cut out and are forced to work for President Snow for the rest of their lives. We learned about them at school but this is the first time I've actually seen one.

Effie suddenly appears from around the corner.

"Ah there you two are. On time for once Rowan, keep it up!" says Effie.

Once the elevator arrives at our floor, Effie sends us in and tells us to press T, which she says is for "Training" before wishing both of us luck.

By the time we reach the training level, Jessica is a nervous wreck. She's fidgeting furiously and can't seem to focus on anything for any period of time. We enter the training room and are ushered towards a group of some of the tributes and a woman named Atala who will be the overseer of our training sessions. It looks like we're among the first to arrive.

Of course, the tributes from districts one and two are already present and give Jessica and I annoyed looks as we arrive by them ready for orientation. I guess the amazing costumes that Cinna and Portia put us in really have put a chip on the shoulder of these careers. I'll have to watch my back around them.

Slowly, the remainder of the tributes arrive at the training centre. I once again get a sinking feeling in my stomach when the 12 year old girl from district 10 arrives. I think her name is Zara, but knowing that just make it ten times worse. The boy called Nikon gives me a subtle nod as he catches my eye. I'm not sure what to make of that.

Once all 24 tributes have arrived, Atala begins her speech and lays out the rules and schedule for the next three days. We're not to fight with any of the other tributes, but we can practice with attendants at each of the various stations. We're free to go to whichever stations we want, but are advised not to ignore survival stations.

"So, where would you like to start?" asks Jessica.

"Let's go over to the rope tying, I'll teach you some simple snares to help you catch food in the arena" I reply.

"Sounds great, anywhere far away from that boy from district 2!" says Jessica.

"Abrax? He's got as much common sense as a pigeon. Look at him showing off with the spear, now everyone knows his strengths. You'll easily outsmart him in the arena" I respond.

Jessica shrugs and smiles up at me as we make our way over to the rope tying station. We get through a handful of snares in a few hours, Jessica is actually pretty good. The instructor seems impressed with us and Jessica and I both feel satisfied when leaving.

Lunch is a bit of a sordid affair, with the career tributes all sitting together making snide remarks about the other tributes, all of whom are sitting separately and eating lunch on their own. I notice that Nikon from district 4 isn't sitting with the rest of the careers, he's big enough to be included with them so I'm not sure what's going on there. I sit with Jessica but we don't really make much conversation at all.

After lunch, we spend the rest of the day between fire building and shelter building. I leave at 4.30pm satisfied at the day's work. I've learnt a few new snares and also improved my knowledge of how to build and find shelter. Jessica also seems in good spirits as we make our way up to our floor on the elevator.

"I feel a lot more prepared than I did this time yesterday" remarks Jessica. "Don't feel like you have to do the same for the next few days, I think I can handle it now that you've started me off. Spend your time doing something that you need to."

"Okay, thanks. I was hoping to get some time to practice with some new weapons tomorrow in case there isn't a bow" I reply.

Jessica nods in agreement just as the elevator doors open. We are greeted by Effie and ushered straight into the living room where Haymitch is waiting for us. Jessica and I both take a seat on the sofas near Haymitch.

"So, how did today go?" asks Haymitch.

"Pretty well I think. We spent time at the rope tying station in the morning and Jessica picked up the snares really quickly. We also did a lot at the shelter building and fire building stations." I explain.

"Good, you actually followed what I asked you to, I'm impressed. What about you sweetheart, did you see any potential allies?" asks Haymitch.

"Not really" responds Jessica. "Everyone sat apart at lunch and everyone seemed too scared of the careers to actually say anything to any of the other tributes."

"Okay, well it was always going to be tough to get into an alliance of some sort. Normally ones outside of the careers form in the arena anyway" Haymitch thinks aloud.a

"Right, that makes sense after being in the training centre today" replies Jessica.

Effie makes a reappearance and send Jessica and I to our rooms to get ready for dinner. I have a quick shower, get changed into clean clothes and head back to the main room. After Jessica and I are done stuffing ourselves, Haymitch advises us both to continue what we did at training today for the next few days but try out a few weapons that we haven't handled before. This is what I had planned already. I slink back to my room and drift into restless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The next few days pass in a similar vein to the first day in the training centre. I try out knives and spears and also spend some time at the close-combat training station. The careers often send me resentful glares, but I try to stay out of their way. I avoid the archery station just as Haymitch told me to.

The third day is when we have our private training sessions with the game makers; when we're supposed to show them our strengths. Jessica and I meet Haymitch in the morning, he's waiting for us at breakfast.

"Right you two, remember that the point of these private sessions is to show the game makers how good you are. Your score goes a long way to determining how many sponsors I can get for you. Rowan, you show them your archery skills" advises Haymitch.

I nod in response, I've been itching to get my hands on a bow since the first day in the training centre so I've strangely been looking forward to today. Maybe I'll show them some snares as well if I have enough time.

"Jessica, you should show them your knife skills and some of the snares that Rowan taught you. Maybe do something to show them how agile you are as well, they'll probably have some sort of climbing equipment or similar in there" says Haymitch.

"Okay, I think I can do that" replies Jessica.

"Right, so they call you in in district order from 1 to 12, so you two will be going last. Don't let that put you off. Make sure you do something that makes them remember you" remarks Haymitch.

Something that makes them remember me? Hopefully they'll be impressed enough with my archery to give me an eight or a nine. I'd be happy with that.

The tension in the waiting room is unbearable, none of the tributes are looking at each other, let alone speaking. It only gets worse as fewer and fewer of us remain. Finally my name is called out and I make my way towards the training room.

I spot the bow immediately and a small smile appears on my face.

"Rowan Everdeen, District 12" I announce.

Not many of the gamemakers are paying me any attention, I guess having seen 22 tributes already they must get bored. I put that thought to the back of my mind and pick up the bow and quiver.

I loosen my shoulders and take aim at one of the stationary targets. The arrow flies true and hits the dummy in the shoulder, not bad for a first attempt I think to myself. I continue to shoot at the multiple target dummies and don't miss with a single arrow, many of them piercing the torso and head. I even put in a few forward rolls to make myself look flashy.

When I've emptied the quiver I look up to the gamemakers and notice that most of them still aren't looking in my direction, although there are a few of them nodding their approval. Great, if I can't grab their attention then I'm bound to get a worse score than I could. The frustration is building, but what can I do? I decide to just carry on with my plan and show them a few of my snares.

Once my time is up, I've managed to prepare two different snares. I demonstrated one of them with a dummy, leaving it hanging upside down by the ankle. There's nothing more I can do, so I just leave when I'm dismissed and head up the elevator back to the 12th floor where Haymitch is waiting for me.

"How did it go boy?" he asks.

"Alright I suppose. I hit with all my arrows and demonstrated my best snare, but a lot of the gamemakers didn't seem to be paying me much attention" I explain.

"That can happen with district 12, we better hope that some of them were paying attention and put in a good word for you" says Haymitch.

"Let's hope so" I respond.

"No use waiting around here, dinner is in a couple of hours so go do whatever you want until then. Tomorrow is interview prep, that's going to be a barrel of laughs with your rosy personality" chuckles Haymitch.

I scowl in his direction and make my way back to my room. I'm tired from the stress of the day so I lie down in an attempt to get some rest. No such luck, my mind is plagued with thoughts of home, imminent death and the likely scenario that I will be undervalued by the gamemakers.

Trying to get some sleep is futile so I decide to pass the time and have a wander around our living complex. I bump into Cinna on my travels.

"Rowan, you look restless. Too many thoughts going through your mind?" asks Cinna.

"Something like that" I respond, not really feeling much like talking.

"Well if you're looking for somewhere to clear your head, may I suggest the rooftop? There's usually a nice breeze, and the view of the capitol is quite stunning. It's peaceful up there, one of the few places in the Capitol I can say that about" says Cinna.

"That sounds ideal" I reply truthfully.

"Let me show you how to get there" replies Cinna with his signature smile.

I follow Cinna to a staircase that leads up one floor. He tells me to prop the door open with something to avoid being locked out. He also shows me the force-field that surrounds the edges of the roof terrace, the Capitol can't have its precious tributes committing suicide now, can they?

My thoughts go to home as I take in the tranquillity of being on this rooftop alone. I wonder how Katniss and Prim are doing. Are they surviving well enough? Of course they are, Katniss will make sure of that. Are they looking forward to seeing my interview? I wish I could see them again. I decide that I'll send a message to them somehow during my interview with Caesar.

What about Madge? I admit, I haven't thought about her much since I got to the Capitol. I've been too preoccupied with other activities. I let myself wonder what it might be like if I were to return to District 12 as a victor. Will Madge and I be together? Will she still like the person that I am, having been through the Hunger Games and killed innocent children? Will I even be able to kill? I haven't put much thought into that; it's too horrible to think about.

"Hello. Rowan isn't it?" says a male voice.

I turn around, it's the male tribute from District 4, Nikon I think his name is. How did I not hear his approach? My ears failed me, I need to make sure that I don't get into these deep thoughts when I'm in the arena or I'll get myself killed.

"Hi. Yes it is. You're Nikon right? I respond suspiciously. This guy has a couple of inches on me and is pretty built. I wonder why he's interested in conversation with me. Tributes from four normally ally with the careers from one and two.

"That's right. So how did you find out about this place?" Nikon asks me.

"My district partner's stylist Cinna showed me earlier. He thought that I needed a place to clear my head" I reply.

Nikon nods in understanding. I presume that he comes up here for the same reasons.

"So how did you find it?" I ask.

"Oh, my mentor Finnick brought me up here. Same reasons" he responds, confirming my previous suspicions.

"Finnick O'dair? He's the guy that won the games at 14 years old right? What's he like, he always seems like a bit of a douche to me" I ask, with more venom in my tone than intended.

"He's alright actually. I think that the way he's portrayed by the Capitol is false to an extent, he comes across as more genuine away from the cameras. He's been very helpful to me." Nikon replies. He either didn't notice my tone, or just ignored it.

"I've been thinking about that, how the Capitol seems to be able to mould people to be something they're not, with insidious motives. I hate it all" blurts out Nikon.

I glance around for cameras, it's dangerous to be saying things like that. I raise my eyebrows in Nikon's direction, my respect for him has gone up. I think we could get on, he certainly shares a lot of my values.

"You need to be careful saying stuff like that. You might just get yourself killed off by the gamemakers before you even have a chance" I remark.

"Oh don't worry about that, Finnick told me that there are no cameras up here so we're safe" responds Nikon. "So what thoughts have you been needing to clear your head of Rowan?"

"Thoughts of home, thoughts of the games. I was wondering earlier whether I would actually be able to kill someone" I say. I don't know why I'm being so open with Nikon, I guess that I see a lot of similarities between us.

"I've been thinking about that as well. It's not worth dwelling on, I don't think you'll find the answer until you're actually in the arena and the situation arises. I certainly haven't" responds Nikon.

"I just don't want them to change me" I say. Nikon nods in agreement. "I just wish there was a way I could show them that I wasn't just another piece in their games."

"I know what you mean" says Nikon.

We fall into silence for a while, both lost in thought. I look down to the streets on the Capitol, the residents appear to be partying, probably at our expense. It disgusts me.

"We could be allies you know" suggests Nikon suddenly.

"I thought you'd be allying with one and two?" I ask. Nikon laughs at that.

"Those animals, I wouldn't join up with them if it was the only way to survive. I think we could do well together, survive longer" says Nikon.

"My mentor Haymitch told me not to ally with anyone. I work best alone. I'm sorry" I tell him, rather regrettably.

"Fair enough, just know the offer is there" replies Nikon.

"If we come across each other in the arena, I'll avoid killing you" I smirk. "It increases the chances that the careers can be brought down if we're still around." Nikon chuckles at this.

"It certainly does. Okay, so no alliance but we have a truce in that arena. At least until we're down to the final few tributes" suggests Nikon.

"Deal" I say.

We shake hands and Nikon heads back to the fourth floor. It's about time that I returned for dinner so I head back down. I make my way to the dining room and find that everyone is there already.

"You're late Rowan, where an earth have you been?" asks Effie.

"I've been around. Just thinking about stuff" I respond as I sit down in my sit next to Jessica.

"Well I hope that you're not "thinking about stuff" during our session tomorrow. You'll need to concentrate on what I'm teaching you" Effie informs me.

"Oh joy" I whisper quietly. Jessica and Haymitch chuckle and Effie lets out a dramatic sigh.

It turns out I'm a lot hungrier than I realise and I finish dinner in record time. That turns out to be just as well when Effie announces that we're all to go and watch the announcement of our training scores.

This is what I've been dreading, I have no idea what score I should expect. The scores are announced by district in ascending order. Antonis from one gets a ten and Patina gets one lower than her district partner with a nine. Abrax and Petra from two both get tens and Nikon also pulls off a ten, I am secretly thankful for our truce. Most other tributes get between four and seven. A few remarkable scores: Samoul from district seven and Toby from district eleven both get nines, and tiny Zara from eleven manages a seven.

"Pretty good scores overall this year" mentions Haymitch.

I agree, the scores are pretty high in general. It's going to be tough to survive any amount of time in these games, let alone win. Suddenly, my face appears on the screen with the number ten next to it. Ten!

"Nice one boy" says Haymitch, giving me a slap on the back.

"Congratulations Rowan, you must have really done well in that private session" says Portia.

Everyone is so busy cheering and congratulating me on my score that we almost miss Jessica's.

"And now Jessica Wells, with a score of… seven!" announces Caesar.

That's a pretty good score. I never asked Jessica what she did in her private session, but I can tell she's please with her seven.

"Nice one Jessica" I say, grinning in her direction "I'll have to watch my back in the arena" I joke.

"Yes, yes. Well done both of you. Pretty good scores, we can work with those." says Haymitch. "Now tomorrow morning you'll each have a session with Effie and with me and interview preparation. Rowan, you'll be with Effie first and Jessica with me. Then we'll swap after lunch" he goes on to explain.

"Sounds interesting. What exactly will you be teaching us" asks Jessica.

"Effie's session will be about presentation and mine will be about interview content" replies Haymitch. "But enough talk, we'll go into it tomorrow. I want you two to be well rested, so off to bed" orders Haymitch.

Jessica and I both head out towards to bedrooms. I take this chance to ask her about her private session.

"So what did you show the gamemakers Jessica? Must have been pretty good to pull a seven" I ask.

"I made a couple of the snares you showed me and then demonstrated one of them with a target dummy" she tells me.

"No way! I did the same thing, well after my archery." I respond.

"Well, great minds think alike!" says Jessica. This brings a laugh out of me.

"I also threw some knives at the dummy once I'd hung it upside down, although I think I only hit with about half of them" adds Jessica.

"Not bad, it must have been impressive enough for the gamemakers." I say.

"Seems that way" Jessica responds "Look Rowan, about what you said before about having to watch your back. I won't kill you in the arena."

This comment surprises me, why is Jessica telling me this. Thinking about it, I guess I don't think I'd be able to kill Jessica either. She's from home and we've become friends since we were cruelly picked to fight in the same death match.

"Thanks Jess, thinking about it there's no way I could kill you either. We've become friends and it's been comforting to have some connection to home. Truce?" I say. I seem to be making a lot of truces recently.

"Truce" responds Jessica. We repeat that handshake that I had earlier with Nikon and I feel a weight lifted off my shoulders. Jessica starts towards her door, but just before she goes into her room she turns back and appears to be blushing.

"Oh, and I like Jess by the way. You can call me that from now on" she says.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

I wake up for the fourth day in a row to Effie Trinket's annoying wail.

"I'm awake, you don't have to tell me three times!" I shout back through the door.

"Just making sure!" responds Effie, getting in the last word as usual.

After a quick breakfast, I'm ushered back into my room by her for my session on 'Interview Presentation.' I can safely say that it is the most boring four hours of my life. There are only so many ways that you can explain how to wear a suit and how to sit properly. I'm also told that I don't smile enough.

"Well it's not like I've had much to smile about over the last five days!" I respond.

"Well then pretend that you've got something to smile about, the Capitol audience will like you more if you're not scowling and slouching all the time!" exclaims Effie.

She is at her wits end by the time the four hours are up and I am finally released to work with Haymitch. I make my way towards the dining room and pass Jessica on the way.

"I hope you have better luck with Effie than me, I think I may have given her face a permanent red tint." I joke.

Jessica bursts into a fit of giggles and has to kneel down on the floor to catch her breath.

"Oh for goodness sake, what have you done now Rowan. I need Jessica to be completely focused!" sighs Effie.

"Don't worry Effie, just a little joke. I'm all serious now" says Jessica.

"Well, you are a very serious person Jess" I comment, jokingly. This gets me a smile, and then we go our separate ways.

"Got a bit distracted in the corridor did you?" asks Haymitch, raising his eyebrows.

"Um, sort of. Just had a run in with Jess and Effie" I explain.

"Jess, when did you start calling her that?" presses Haymitch.

"Last night, she said she prefers it" I say. Haymitch's eyebrows rise even further and I realise what I've said. "It's not what it sounds like" I quickly add.

"I bet it isn't" mumbles Haymitch.

Great, now Haymitch probably thinks that there's something going on between myself and Jess.

"So… interview content" I say, my subtle attempt at a subject change.

"Interview content" confirms Haymitch, nodding his head.

When he doesn't add anything else and just continues to stare at me, I start to get irritated. Is he not going to say anything? Tell me what the interview will be about or what to do?

"What are you doing?" I ask finally.

"Trying to figure you out, so far you're shining like a star. You made a big impression at the parade, you've got a top training score, but we don't know anything about you. We need the audience to be able to relate to you" says Haymitch.

"So you want me to talk about myself in the interview?" I ask.

"Well in an ideal world, but I don't know if you'd be able to pull that off. You don't exactly have the most endearing personality, more like sullen and stubborn" he replies.

"And you're so much different" I respond sarcastically.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about" sighs Haymitch.

We sit down for three hours trying to figure out what sort of approach I should use but we don't really get anywhere. I can't pull off charming or sexy and Haymitch also dismisses strong and silent, he says I'm too skinny for that.

"I give up!" exclaims Haymitch. "Just do your best to answer the questions without screwing up and hopefully your training score will be enough."

Haymitch storms off after that–probably to get another drink-and I head back to my room, contemplating the fact that my interview is inevitably going to be an absolute disaster. It must only be about 15 minutes before Portia enters.

"Hello Rowan, time to get you ready for your interview. How're you feeling about it?" asks Portia.

"Haymitch talked to you" I state.

"He did, and I disagree with him. I don't think you're useless" she says.

"Then you obviously don't know me very well" I respond.

"I've seen enough of you these last 5 days to know that you can be likeable. The Capitol already loves you, I like you" replies Portia. "Jess likes you" she adds.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean that you should just be yourself in the interview and you'll do perfectly fine. Now come on, let's get you ready" orders Portia.

It takes a few hours for my prep team and Portia to get me ready and in my suit. We make our way down to the interview area and I notice that a lot of the tributes have already arrived. Like most other activities in the last week, the interviews will go up in ascending order by district. This means that I'll be on last.

Just then, Jess arrives off the elevator with Cinna. The only word I can think to describe her is breathtaking. I can barely look away and Jess makes eye contact with me. She blushes and looks down.

"Like what you see?" says Haymitch

How did he sneak up on me? I need to stop letting that happen.

"Shut up Haymitch" I respond, causing him to chuckle.

Before he can say anything else, all of the tributes are sent up onto the stage. We sit in a semi-circle at the back with two chairs at the front for Caesar and the interviewee. I barely have time to get nervous before the lights come on and Caesar Flickerman makes his way onto the stage.

He welcomes everyone to the night before the Hunger Games and promptly begins the interviews. I'm not really bothered about what the other tributes have to say, but do stop to listen when it gets to Nikon's turn. He talks about his life on the sea as a fisherman with his family, and how he's going to use everything he's learnt from that to survive in the games. He also sends a message to his younger sister, which reminds me that I had planned to do that as well.

Before I realise it, it's Jess's interview and she's walking up to Caesar.

"Well, girl on fire! That was quite an entrance you made at the tributes parade" he says.

"Oh I know, weren't those flames just amazing. Cinna is an absolute genius!" says Jess.

"Well I can't disagree with that!" replies Caesar.

They talk about Jess' family and district 12, and the audience absolutely laps it up. Jess has them around her little finger. And when she stands up and twirls, showing of the flames on her dress, I swear that half the audience faints.

Jess' interview is over far too quickly and all of a sudden, I'm being called up by Caesar. Just remember Portia's advice, I tell myself. Be yourself.

"Well Rowan, you certainly seem to be making an impression here in the capitol. What has impressed you most since you arrived here?" asks Caesar.

Be honest, I tell myself. Be honest.

"The roast parsnips" I reply. The audience starts laughing and Caesar gives a light chuckle as well.

"Oh they're absolutely divine aren't they, roasted in duck fat. I have to say, I eat them by the bucket load myself" responds Caesar.

"So that training score, I'm sure the audience is intrigued as to what someone from district 12 would show the gamemakers to get a ten!" says Caesar.

Someone from district 12!? The cheek, I feel like telling him that I'd like to see anyone from the Capitol pull anything higher than a six. I spot Portia in the audience, she's smiling at me and this brings me back. I need to stay calm.

"Well Caesar, I don't think I'm supposed to say what I showed them. Wouldn't want to break any rules would I?" I say with a cheeky grin.

"Oh come on, we're dying here!" says Caesar.

"Well, if you watch the games I'm sure you'll find out" I say. Another chuckle from Caesar.

"So Rowan, on a more serious note. Do you have family back home?" he asks.

I tense up, I really don't want to talk about my family, especially with these Capitol people. I can't really avoid it though.

"I have two sisters one older and one younger. I love them more than anything and I really hope they're doing okay without me" I say, looking directly into the cameras. The audience sighs.

"How sweet" remarks Caesar. "And what about a girl, do you have a girl back home?"

I immediately think of Madge. Is she my girl? I don't really know. I think I would like that though.

"I'm not sure Caesar" I respond truthfully.

"Whatever do you mean?" he asks, presumably baffled.

"Well, there's this one girl I really like. She kissed me when she came to say goodbye before I left for the games, but I'm not sure if it would work out" I say.

"Why of course it would. You win these games, and you go home to the girl of your dreams!" says Caesar as if it's the simplest thing in the world. The audience voices their agreement. This is it, my chance to voice my opinion. My chance to show the Capitol that they don't own me.

"Thanks Caesar, but I'm not so sure. If I do return, why would she want the monster I will have become?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

As soon as I'd say those words, I know I've got the reaction I wanted. The gasps from the audience are evidence of that. Caesar is rushing to get me off-stage, I've made quite the commotion. I meet up with Jess back stage.

"Rowan, I can't believe you actually said that, it was brilliant" voices Jessica.

"Thanks Jess, I hope that there's a nasty backlash for the Capitol" I whisper.

We're suddenly joined by Haymitch, Effie, Cinna and Portia. Effie looks shocked and Haymitch looks absolutely seething.

"What the hell did you say that for boy. You just had to go and open your snarky little mouth didn't you!" spits Haymitch.

"I just wanted to get my point across, show the Capitol that we're not all just pieces in their stupid games!" I reply.

"You do realise that that's the same Capitol that controls what goes on in the arena? You may well have signed your own death warrant" shouts Haymitch, before storming off towards the elevator.

That gets my attention, I didn't consider that but now that he mentions it I dread what I might have set myself up for. Will the gamemakers now send mutts after me at the earliest opportunity? Effie must read my face as she tries to calm me.

"Don't worry Rowan, I'm sure Haymitch is just overreacting. Let's head back up to the apartment and get you and Jessica some food" she says.

"Sounds good, come on Rowan" responds Jessica, grabbing my arm.

Jessica and I make our way back to the twelfth floor with Effie. I make a bee line for my room as soon as we step off the elevator, I want to get out of this suit as quickly as possible. Once I've changed, I make my way to the dining area. I met with the sight of Haymitch slumped over on the table, hip flask in hand. I kind of feel bad, have I thrown all of Haymitch's help away with my outburst in the interview?

"Haymitch, I'm sorry. I spoke without thinking, I hope that I haven't blown any chance I had" I apologise.

Haymitch startles up. "Don't worry boy, I understand why you said what you did. I feel exactly the same. You've got to start using that head of yours though, or you won't last through the first day in that arena" he replies.

"I will. Any last advice?" I ask.

"Get away from the cornucopia as soon as the canons go off, you don't want to get involved in the bloodbath. Oh, and stay alive" replies Haymitch.

I nod in agreement, there's no way I want to get involved in a brawl with the careers. I grab a plate sit down to eat. Jess joins us a few minutes later and Haymitch gives her the same advice. Run and stay alive.

I'm aware that this could very well be my last ever proper meal, so I savour it as much as possible. It's less than 24 hours now before the games begin. I wonder how Katniss and Prim are dealing with everything, they'll be watching the start of the games live tomorrow. I doubt Prim will sleep much at all tonight.

Eventually Jess and I are ordered to go to sleep by Haymitch, we need to be well rested for tomorrow. I make my way towards my room with Jess in tow.

"Good luck tomorrow Jess, and remember Haymitch's advice" I say.

Suddenly, she flings herself into me and wraps her arms around my waist. I respond and wrap my arms around her, it's comforting.

"You too Rowan" says Jess.

We stand there hugging for a few minutes before we step apart and start towards our rooms.

"See you in the arena" says Jess before closing her bedroom door.

I step into my room and head towards my bed. I can't be bothered with a shower, I'll have one tomorrow morning to wake myself up properly. Surprisingly, I manage to find sleep pretty quickly after my head hits the pillow.

I am awoken by Portia after what seems like no time at all. I'm suddenly drowned by the thought that I will be in the arena in a few short hours with the high possibility of never coming out. Portia must see the worry on my face as she pulls me in for a hug.

"Oh Rowan, you're so brave. Come on, let's get you in the shower, I always find it relaxing" she says.

I stay under the warm water for an eternity, it's as if I'm trying to wash away any worrying thoughts about what is to come. Portia finally drags me out. I don't even care that I'm completely naked, what's the point in caring about that now?

I see that my attire for the arena has been laid out on my bed. It looks fairly thick and waterproof, that's good I wouldn't want to freeze to death in there. I get dressed and pull the jacket over my shoulders. Just as I'm about to zip it up, Portia stops me.

"Here, let me put this on you underneath" she says, while pulling a pin out of her pocket. It's the mockingjay pin that Madge gave me, I had completely forgotten about it! Portia must see the surprise on my face.

"I found this in your room on the train and thought I'd keep it for you. It's your district token right?" she asks.

"Yes. Thanks, I'd completely forgotten about it. Madge would have never forgiven me" I answer.

"Madge. Is she the girl that you mentioned in your interview?" smiles Portia.

"She is, this is her Aunt's pin. She wanted me to wear it" I say.

"How sweet of her, she really is a lucky girl to have your heart" Portia replies.

I don't say anything, but just smile at her in response. Once I'm ready, Portia and I make our way up to the roof where we're to be boarded onto a hovercraft. I'm hoping that I'll see Jess up here but she must be going separately.

As soon as I'm on the hovercraft, a woman comes over to me with some sort of device and asks me to hold my arm out. She uses it to inject something into it, there's a vague tingle but it doesn't hurt. Maybe I'm already starting to become oblivious to pain?

"That was your tracker" explains Portia. Of course, the Capitol wouldn't want to lose any of the precious tributes I think bitterly.

It must take about 20minutes to reach the arena location. I'm lead off the hovercraft by Portia into a building and then into a side room. I immediately notice the pod that I'll be raised up into the arena in and get a lump in my throat.

"Would you like anything to eat?" asks Portia. I shake my head, seemingly incapable of speech. "Water?" she tries. I agree to water, it's a good idea. I'll last longer against dehydration. Portia and I just sit in silence, me holding her hand. Finally there's an announcement saying that the tributes need to be led into the pods.

I stand up and head towards the pod. I stop just in front of it and turn to Portia. She gives me a hug, it's what I need right now.

"Remember what Haymitch told you Rowan, you can do this" she says.

"Thanks for everything" I say before releasing myself from Portia and stepping into my shoot. I look at Portia and see that she has tears in her eyes, it almost brings me to tears myself but I have to be strong. Strong for Prim, for Katniss, for district 12. There's a mechanical noise and all of a sudden I'm being elevated up. This is it.

I can feel the air before I get to the top, it smells like pine. I'm momentarily blinded by the sunlight when I get to the top but my eyes quickly adjust. The arena is perfect for me, I can see thick woods to my left that stretch around more than half the arena and a small lake to the right just the other side of the cornucopia. There's also what looks like a small mountain behind the lake, this arena must be huge.

All of the tributes are all in a circle on our podiums surrounding the cornucopia. Nikon is to my right, that's good we have a truce so I know he won't come for me. We lock eyes and nod at each other. To my left is the small girl from district 10, Zara. She looks petrified, but she needn't worry about me.

I begin to look around for Jess but I can't see her anywhere. My eyes, however , do fall on a silver bow and quiver right in the mouth of the cornucopia. That's meant for me, it's mine. There's no way that I can get to it and out again without being involved in the bloodbath. I immediately discount the idea of going for it, Haymitch said run, so I'll run.

I notice a backpack fairly close to my podium and decide I'll grab that and run for the woods to my left. There's a timer above the cornucopia that's now down to 15 seconds, I set myself to run.

10 seconds.

All the tributes are getting ready to make their move.

5 seconds.

I see Jess just round the edge of the cornucopia. I hope she runs.

3, 2, 1. The cannon sounds to signal the start of the games, and that's when the mayhem begins.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

I'm off my podium and running towards the backpack like a flash. It only takes me a few seconds and I've got the bag flung over my shoulder and I'm running towards the woods. I can hear screams and cries of pain behind me but I don't look back.

I don't know how long I run for but I finally stop and slump down against a thick tree to rest. I take this opportunity to look through the pack that I grabbed. There's a canteen full with water, a sleeping bag, and long rope, a serrated knife, a pair of gloves and some biscuits. Not a bad haul at all.

The water should keep me going for a while but I still want to find a source for when it inevitably runs out. I give myself 10 minutes to recoup and then move on again. Being in these woods is actually very calming, I can imagine that I'm outside district 12 hunting with my big sister. I can picture her and Prim cheering me on in the town square and it brings a smile to my face.

After about an hour of looking for water I still haven't had any luck and decide to set up a couple of snares. It doesn't take me long and I decide to climb up a tree nearby to rest while I wait for them to do their work. I find the perfect tree, but just as I'm about to climb it I hear something off to my right. Just as I'm pulling my knife from my belt, I get attacked.

Someone has jumped on my back and has got me in a choke hold, my knife falls to the ground. I grab their arms with my hands and try to release their grip but they've locked the hold in strongly. I lean forwards and flip my attacker over my shoulder. As soon as they're on the ground I jump on top of them and the brawl begins.

I recognise him as the boy from district 6, I can't remember his name. I start punching him and he's punching back. We eventually end up on our feet and I ram him into a nearby tree, the back of his head colliding hard with the think trunk. This must give him a concussion because he starts stumbling around and his eyes looked glazed over. I punch him one more time in the jaw and he falls to the ground, unconscious.

He's not dead yet, but I can see blood trickling out of his ear. That's not good, do I leave him here? He might have some damage to his brain. If I leave him here, he might be discovered by the careers who would surely make his death as painful as possible.

I walk over to where I dropped my knife and pick it up. I start shaking as I walk over to the defenceless boy from district 6. Am I about to do this? I have to, I have to do this. To go home to Prim, to Katniss, to Madge. I kneel down beside his body and bring my knife up to the side of his neck. I look away as I drag the knife across his throat. The boy lets out a whimper but he doesn't wake up, he'll never wake up. It only takes 10seconds before his canon sounds.

I whisper a quiet sorry to him and pick up his supplies. I bow my head silently in respect and walk away. It's only then that I notice the blood on my hands, I collapse to the ground and start wiping them on the tree bark, the soil, anything to get rid of it. I even stupidly waste some of the water from my canteen to wash it away. I killed him, I'm a monster. I feel so empty but I can't let this consume me, I have to keep going.

I stand up again and start walking downhill, but then I remember my snares. I turn back to go and check them and find that the boys corpse has already been removed from the arena, to be sent back to district 6. I put it out of my mind and keep walking. My snares have managed to catch a couple of rabbits, this will keep me fed for a while. I empty the second pack and stuff the rabbits in there. I notice a box of matches, that will come in handy.

It takes me another 2 hours of walking, but I find a small freshwater pond. I drink all the water in my canteen and refill it from the pond. I put in a couple of drops of iodine which I found in the district 6 boy's pack to purify the water and decide that I need to set up camp for the night. I find a suitable tree and climb up high enough to not be seen. It's pretty dark now so I should be concealed well enough. I get into my sleeping bag and tie myself to the branch with the rope so that I don't fall out.

I hear trumpets, this must be the recap for the day where the deceased are listed. The first person to show is the girl from district 3, so that means the careers are still alive. Nikon doesn't show either so he's made it through the first day. When the face of the boy from district 6 shows, I again say a silent apology to him. As it goes up through the districts I get more nervous about whether or not I'll see Jessica's face, but I don't. Jessica is still alive and that's a small comfort.

There are 11 dead in total, so 13 of us still in it. The bloodbath must have made pretty horrendous viewing, I just hope that Katniss stopped Prim from seeing it. That makes me think about how they must have shown my kill on screen and how they would have seen it. What do they think of me? I whisper a goodnight to my family back home and fall asleep.

I awake to the sound of a canon and immediately think of Jessica. It looks like first light is almost upon us so I pack everything up and jump down from my tree. After refilling my canteen I decide that I want to do some scouting today. I assume that the careers will have their camp set up at the cornucopia so I decide to make my way there.

I keep my ears open and tread as lightly as I can, which having been a hunter for the past 4 years of my life come quite naturally. It takes me roughly an hour to get to the cornucopia, and I find a great spot just in the treeline where I can see but not be seen. The careers seem to all be asleep still, and I can see that they've moved all of their supplies inside the cornucopia. That must include my bow and arrows.

Suddenly, the boy from District 2 called Abrax says something and is pointing up towards the mountain. I have a quick look around the tree and notice it myself, a heavy stream of smoke. Someone was stupid enough to light a fire up there and now the careers will be after them.

Abrax and Petra from 2 are joined by the girl Patina from 1 to go and hunt down the culprit, and Antonis from 1 is left guarding the cornucopia. I think I might be able to take him if I can get close enough, but he's holding a spear and I saw how accurate he was in training, it's likely that he'd impale me before I could get close enough to do any damage with my knife.

Maybe if I sneak around to the other side of the cornucopia I can get the jump on him, but I don't know how much time I have before the rest of the careers will return. Just as I stand up to move in a bit closer, a voice calls out from behind me.

"So we meet again Rowan."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

I recognise that voice and when I turn around it's confirmed. Nikon has found me and he's equipped with a trident. My hand immediately goes to the knife on my belt.

"You won't be needing that, we have a truce remember" he says.

"I'd rather be safe than sorry, you never know how the arena will change someone" I reply. Nikon sighs.

"Trust me, I'm not interested in killing you. I'm guessing I'm here for the same reason that you are" he responds, nodding in the direction of the cornucopia.

"My bow and arrows are inside the cornucopia, I'm here to collect them" I say.

"And I'm here to steal some of their supplies. How about we team up and both get what we're looking for" says Nikon.

"Fine, there's only Antonis left guarding, the rest went to hunt down some idiot who started a fire." I say.

"Let's go then, two on one, should be easy" he replies.

I agree with him, working together we should be able to take down Antonis and get what we want from the Cornucopia.

"Right. Let's go quickly, I don't know when the others will be back." I say.

As stealthily as possible, Nikon and I manoeuvre ourselves into a position where we can attack Antonis from a short distance. We give each other the signal and charge at him as quickly as possible. His head shoots up in alarm and he notices Nikon first. He launches his spear but Nikon easily deflects it with his trident. As quickly as a blink of the eye, he throws his trident and it lodges itself in Antonis' chest. The canon sounds immediately.

I rush into the cornucopia behind Nikon and grab up the bow and quiver straight away. Now maybe I can be a force in this arena. I also grab a first aid kit and some food while Nikon is collecting some rope and a couple of packs. We both walk out of the cornucopia, the careers still haven't returned. They'll be mad when they realise that Antonis is dead.

"Nice shot with the trident, impressive" I say.

"Thanks, I practically grew up on boats and used tridents every day. It's kind of relaxing to have something familiar in the arena." He replies, twirling the trident with his fingers.

"We make quite a team" I say.

Suddenly another canon fires, it's probably for the person that lit that fire which means the careers will be back soon. Nikon comes to the same conclusion.

"We do. Well, until later I suppose" Nikon says.

"Yeah, later. We don't want to be here when the rest of them return" I say.

Nikon nods in agreement and turns towards the lake. I make my way back towards the forest, bow in hand and quiver over my shoulder. Now that I have my weapon of choice, I'll be able to feed myself with no problems. I also now feel like I have a chance to win this thing for the first time since leaving district 12.

I return to my camp close to the freshwater pond and start about getting some food. I set my snares and manage to bag a couple of small squirrel like animals that look edible. I decide to wait until dusk to light a small fire as that will give me the best cover.

The remainder of the day passes with no further events, no more cannons. I set my fire and cook my squirrel as quickly as possible to avoid detection. As soon as both are cooked I stamp it out and wolf down the entirety of one of the animals. I didn't realise that I was so hungry, but I put the second one into my pack.

The trumpets sound again and I'm greeted by only two faces. The first is Antonis and the second is the girl from District 6. Eleven of us still remain, including Jess. I also realise that Zara from 10 is still alive and find myself being impressed by her. I find another suitable tree and settle up in it for the night.

The next morning I wake early and check my snares. A good haul again, at least I won't be dying of hunger in the arena. Once I've packed everything up and polished of the second squirrel from yesterday, I decide to do some more scouting again to see if I can get any more information on the careers.

After about 25minutes of walking, I notice that it's gone silent. That feels strange to me, there's been a constant background of bird song and rustling wind since day 1. My senses heightened, I continue in the same direction, bow at the ready.

After a further 5 minutes, I find that I am right to feel wary. I hear growling behind me and turn around, coming face to face with a pair of enormous grey wolves. Mutts! No natural wolf is this big, and they look menacing, ready for blood. I release my first arrow at one of the wolves, turn and run.

I hear a yelp behind me, hopefully that's one of the wolves down but I daren't stop to look. The adrenaline rush is helping me stay ahead of this mutt as I stumble through trees, bushes and undergrowth as fast as I can. I chance a look back and notice that the wolf is still chasing me.

I decide that I need to try and climb a tree, I won't be able to turn and shoot before the wolf will be on me. I spot a suitable one about 50 metres ahead of me, but just as I'm making my way towards it, I'm distracted by a huge amount of smoke that can only be from a massive fire.

This momentary lapse is enough for the wolf to get me. It clamps it's jaw down on my left calf muscle and searing pain rips through my leg. I grab my knife and plunge it into the back of its neck as hard as I can. The mutt falls but the damage to my leg is done.

I throw the wolf off my leg and stand up. Pain immediately comes and I have to lean against a nearby tree for support. That's when I notice the smoke. There must be a massive forest fire about half a mile from here. Probably gamemaker produced. That means that there may be tributes nearby.

Suddenly there's a piercing scream that sounds vaguely familiar. I go to stand up and three bodies stumble into the clearing that I'm occupying. I recognise Toby from district 11 and Samoul from district 7, the third person makes my heart skip a beat. It's Jess. Samoul is equipped with an axe and it looks like him and Toby have teamed up. Jess is in big trouble here, I have to help. They haven't spotted me yet.

"Please, don't kill me. I'm not ready" cries Jess. It's heart breaking.

"I'm sorry, but this is the games. What has to be done, has to be done" replies Toby.

I've managed to get to my bow at this point and load and arrow, pointing it directly at Samoul. I speak up just as it looks like he's about to strike down Jess.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" I announce.

"Rowan!" cries Jess. She moves to get up but I shoot her a warning glare and shake my head.

"Well, well. District 12 here to save his partner" spits Samoul.

"Exactly, you'll be dead before you know it if that axe moves another inch" I threaten.

"I doubt you can even use that thing. Toby, take him out while I deal with the girl" he announces.

I notice Toby starting towards me and the arrow leaves my bow. It finds it's mark in Samoul's neck and he drops straight away. I don't have time to react before Toby has tackled me to the ground.

I lose my bow instantly as Toby's knee lands hard against my stomach. The air rushes out of my lungs as my back crashes to the ground and I struggle to catch my breath. I see Toby grab what looks like a knife from his belt and I fumble to get mine. Toby probably has about 35lbs on me and has the advantage.

We roll around for a few minutes and manage to slash each other with our knives a couple of times, but finally Toby manages to disarm me and pin my arms to the ground above my head. I was never any good at wrestling, that was always Mellark turf. This is the end I think, I just hope that Toby makes it quick and painless so that Katniss and Prim don't have to suffer watching. The last thing I see is Toby's fist descending towards me before everything goes black.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

I wake up to the familiar sound of wind rustling through leaves, bird song and the smell of pine. I let myself believe that I am back home in district 12, although maybe I'm dead and this is what my mind has conjured up as heaven. My thoughts are confirmed when I hear a beautiful voice singing softly in the distance, it must be an angel.

I open my eyes and see that I am lying down next to an upturned tree trunk in fairly thick woods, a small stream nearby. I go to stand up so that I can investigate my surroundings more thoroughly but I'm met by a blinding pain in my left leg which I noticed is bandaged. That's odd, why would that injury still be there if I'm dead?

"Rowan, you're awake" says an unfamiliar voice.

I'm startled and manage to trip over a nearby tree root. The voice giggles. I turn around and find that the voice belongs to the small girl from district 10, Zara. She's still alive then, and clearly so am I. The hell that is the hunger games is not over for me yet.

"Zara? What happened? How am I still alive?" I ask, possibly too quickly.

"You know my name?" replies Zara, slightly startled by this fact.

"Of course I do, how could I not? It was practically burnt into my memory as soon as I saw you at the reaping. You shouldn't have to go through all this at your age" I say, throwing my arms up dramatically, indicating the games.

"You're sweet, I can see why Jessica likes you" smiles Zara. I hear someone clear their throat behind me and turn around quickly. It's Jess.

"Jess! You're still here. What happened?" I question.

"Nice to see you too Rowan" replies Jess, hands on hips.

"It's good to see you too Jess, I just don't understand what happened. How am I still alive?" I ask.

"Well after you heroically saved me from that arsehole Samoul, you were taken down by Toby and were in pretty bad shape. He knocked you out and I knew that I had to help you. I picked up Samoul's axe and buried it in his back before he could slit your throat!" rushes out Jess.

She turns her back to me and collapses to her knees. She's crying pretty loudly and I know exactly what she's thinking, I felt the same after I killed the boy from district 6. I walk over to where she is and kneel down next to her. I pull her into a hug and she sits there for a good 5 minutes crying into my shoulder.

"It's okay Jess, I know how you feel. I felt the same after the boy from district 6, you think that you're a monster right?" I say.

She looks up at me with those big blue eyes and nods. I can see the sun glistening off her tears, it must be close to sundown.

"Well you know what I said to myself, I said that I wouldn't let the guilt consume me. That's what the Capitol wants Jess, you can't let them beat you. You're more than just a piece in their games" I state.

She smiles up at me and nods her head.

"I never took you for someone with such a way with words Rowan, you're always so quiet" she replies.

Before I can respond, she leans up and kisses me. After everything that we've been through in the last few weeks with the games, I let myself have this one moment and kiss her back. It's nice to find comfort in the games, and I can forget about everything for a short while. I suddenly realise exactly what I'm doing and pull away.

"Sorry" I mumble.

"Don't be, I liked it" replies Jess.

"So did I, it's just…" I stutter.

"Madge" states Jess.

"Yes, I really like her Jess. I'm sorry" I say. Jess laughs at this.

"Again, don't be sorry Rowan. It's not like anything could come of this anyway" she says, pointing between us. "One or both of us will be dead pretty soon" she explains.

"I guess, but I don't like to think about that" I say.

"Me neither. Anyway, you can just tell Madge that you have a weakness for pretty blondes with blue eyes and she'll fall straight in to your arms. She'll forgive you" states Jess. I laugh at that.

"Not to interrupt this beautiful moment or anything, but we should think about setting up for the night" says a voice from behind us.

I suddenly realise the position that Jess and I are in, it's pretty intimate and we quickly get to our feet, smacking our heads together as a result. Zara gets into a fit of giggles and has to kneel on the ground to recover. Jess and I are not amused.

I decide that I'll stick around with Jess and Zara for tonight at least and set about getting more answers. I discover that they've been in an alliance together since they found each other on the first night, but got separated yesterday by the forest fire. They have made quite the successful team, gathering lots of berries and plants, as well as a few squirrels from Jess' snares.

I also find out that the bandage on my leg was done by Zara and I thank her. Apparently they received some antiseptic cream from Haymitch that they also used to treat their burns. So he hasn't forgotten us. I also find that they recovered my bow and arrow which is waiting for me at the camp. I decide it's a good time to fish for some more unsavoury information.

"So how many of us are left. There were eleven last I heard, but I suppose Toby and Samoul have gone since then" I ask.

"There are only eight left now" replies Zara.

"There's us three, the three remaining careers, Nikon and the boy from district 5" counts out Jess.

"Last eight, that means they'll be interviewing our families back home" I say.

I immediately picture Prim talking enthusiastically about how I'm going to win, with Katniss sitting quietly in the background shaking her head. She definitely won't like the Capitol show that will have arrived in district 12 by now. We talk about back home for a bit before we all fall asleep huddled together in our sleeping bags in an undergrowth.

When I wake, I notice that there's a lot less pain coming from my left leg. I sneak a look under the bandage and see that the wound has almost completely healed. This capitol medicine is pretty amazing. Jess is still asleep but I notice that Zara is missing, so I venture outside to see if I can find her. I've decided that I have to split from them sooner rather than later.

I hear Zara before I see her, it must have been her voice that I heard when I woke up thinking that I was dead and in some sort of afterlife. She's sitting on top of that upturned tree trunk and looks so angelic with the rising sun shining through her light brown hair.

"You have a beautiful voice" I say.

"Thanks, I used to sing a lot to my younger brother back in district 10. He used to get so scared around reaping day, especially since we'd already lost our mother" she says solemnly.

My mind goes to Prim and how Katniss used to sing to her when she had nightmares. We really are all alike, each with our own story. The cruelty of the Capitol is relentless, how can they send such an innocent girl to her death?

"My big sister Katniss used to sing as well, but once we'd lost our father she stopped. I think the memory of him pained her too much" I say.

"She sounds nice, you have two sisters right? You sent them a message in your interview" she responds.

"Yes. My big sister Katniss is strong and independent, she sort of became the head of the family after my father died. My younger sister Prim is really sweet, just like you. I think you'd be good friends with her" I smile.

"I wish I could meet her" she says.

"I wish I could meet your brother as well" I say.

We talk for a while longer about her life in district 10. She spends most of her time tending to the chickens as she's not big or strong enough yet to handle the pigs and cows. She says that she likes to name their chickens and was sad when her favourite Sandy (because of the beige colour of her feathers) stopped laying and was sent to slaughter.

I tell her of my adventures in the woods without going into much detail, I wouldn't want to get Katniss into trouble with the peacekeepers. She's fascinated by everything, especially the trees. She asks if it's like the woods we're in now and I say yes. When I tell her of the mockingjays, I show her my pin and even offer it to her, but she declines after I tell her that Madge gave it to me.

"You two are up bright and early!" chirps Jess. She definitely sounds in a good mood.

"Me and your boyfriend have just been talking, I like him" says Zara cheekily.

"He's not my boyfriend Zara, how many times do I have to tell you!" replies Jess.

I just chuckle in the background, these two seem to have built up quite a friendship while they've been together.

"But you want him to be, you loooove him" teases Zara.

"Don't make me use this on you" says Jess, picking up Samoul's axe. Zara's eyes go wide before she runs away giggling, probably looking for berries and plants and such.

"Is she always like that?" I ask Jess.

"Yes, she's been insufferable! But she's good company and reminds me a little of Hamish" sighs Jess.

"Your brother? You know you actually never told me his name until now" I state.

"Really? Wow, I guess I never thought about that. Yes Hamish is my brother, he'd like you I reckon" smiles Jess.

I somehow doubt so, if I return to district 12 I'll likely be an outcast like Haymitch. Scarred by the games and confined to victors village. I decide to take this moment to tell Jess that I'm leaving them, but before I get the chance, some trumpets sound.

"Ladies and gentleman, congratulations on reaching the final eight. Commencing at sunrise tomorrow, will be a feast at the cornucopia. They'll be plenty of supplies on offer, and I wouldn't recommend sitting this one out. Anyone that does may find themselves at a severe disadvantage. May the odds be ever in your favour!"

The voice of Claudius Templesmith fades, and Jess and I look at each other. The feast is likely to be a bloodbath, we'll have to come up with a plan. I don't think I'll be splitting from her and Zara anytime soon, it's definitely an advantage to be in a team at a feast.

Just as we're about to voice our thoughts, a blood curdling scream is let out what sounds like about 200 metres from here. I immediately grab my bow and arrow and run towards it. Please don't let it be Zara, she's so young. I barge through the bushes and load an arrow just as I'm getting to the location that the scream came from.

When I get there, my stomach drops and the blood drains from my face. Petra, the girl from two is leaning over Zara on the ground, and there is a knife sticking out from her side. Petra slits Zara's throat just before my arrow finds her neck, she doesn't even have time to recognise that I'm there.

Jess rushes passed me straight to Zara and kneels down next to her head. Their eyes find each other and they communicate in silence. I make my way over to the scene and kneel down on the other side of Zara's head. She looks at me and tries to smile, but her strength is fading. The cut isn't too deep but the blood is rushing out fast. She'll be dead in a few minutes, there's no way that we can save her.

"Zara" is all I can trust myself to say without choking up. I take her hand and Jess takes the other.

"Tell Ryan I love him" Zara just manages to get out. Jess nods so I assume that Ryan is her younger brother. She never told me his name.

"Of course. He loves you too. You're going to see your momma now" says Jess, through quiet sobs.

"You have to win, one of you two has to win" says Zara. We both nod.

We sit there for the next minute while she takes her final breaths. When her cannon sounds I close her eyes and just sit there, the reality sinking in heavily. I don't even notice Jess get up, but she returns with a bunch of wild flowers and starts decorating Zara's body. I follow suit and begin collecting some myself. I notice that the birds have stopped singing and have a thought. I take the mockingjay pin off and place it on Zara, right above her heart.

"Fly away sweet mockingjay" I whisper, and then I place the three middle fingers of my left hand over my lips and salute them into the air. An old gesture from district twelve, it means thanks, it means admiration, it means goodbye to one you love. Jess does the same.

We move away from Zara's body hand in hand without looking back. We find our turned up tree trunk and sink down against it. I don't know how long we sit there, but by the time I am brought out of my own world by the arrival of a parachute, the sun has almost gone down.

I open the parachute and find a loaf of bread, some cooked chicken thighs and a dozen eggs. There are letters on the first five which spell out the word 'Sandy'. I tell Jess of the significance of this and it brings on another round of silent tears.

"Our thanks to the people of district 10" says Jess. I nod in agreement.

We eat as much of the gift from district 10 as we can before we find ourselves in the undergrowth snuggled together in shared mourning of the sweet girl from district 10. We eventually find sleep.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Once again I am awoken by the sound of a parachute. I wake up Jess and we go outside to collect it. Inside is a small medallion with an engraving of a bow & arrow, what an earth is this for?

"It's from Haymitch" says Jess. "He's reminding us of the feast at dawn this morning, it's probably only a few hours away" she explains.

"Of course, we should probably get moving pretty soon" I say.

We gather up all of our things and start towards the cornucopia. Who's left I ask myself. There's me and Jess, Patina and Abrax, the boy from district 5 and Nikon. Can I trust Nikon? I'm not sure if I can anymore now that we're down to six. We stride onwards, me with my bow, Jess with her Axe and find determination in our shared grief.

We make it to the cornucopia in under an hour and find cover on the edge of the treeline. There's no one in or outside the structure, but I'm sure the other tributes are just lying in wait.

"When the feast begins, I'm going to wait to see who comes out and try and pick people off. You stay hidden here and cover me, just be ready to spring into action if anything happens" I say.

"Right. Let's do this Rowan, for Zara" she replies.

We wait for another 5 minutes before the sun begins to rise. The feast should be starting any minute now. I notice a shadow about 100 metres left of me and get ready to shoot in that direction, I indicate this to Jess and put my finger to my lips, instructing her to be as silent as possible.

The trumpets sound and a table rises from the ground with a whole load of packs and weapons. I immediately notice someone running out from the location I indicated to Jess before, It's the boy from district 5. I fire an arrow without hesitation and it finds the middle of his back. I'm pretty sure that's a lethal shot and my suspicions are confirmed when his cannon sounds a few seconds later.

Jess and I sit in waiting for another 5 minutes but nothing is happening. I start to get nervous, why are the careers not going for the supplies when they're free and out in the open. I suddenly think of the arrow that I fired at the district 5 boy, did they see it? I'm about to mention this to Jess when I'm tackled by none other than Abrax.

Once again, I lose my bow and arrows. Abrax is even larger than Toby so I'm going to have to pull out all the stops here. As we're grappling on the floor, I notice that Jess and Patina are in the same situation, this may not end well for us.

I manage to get a solid hit on Abrax's stomach and he stumbles back, giving me a moment of brief respite. It doesn't last long though, as he charges at me and we go tumbling into the central clearing near the cornucopia. I try to get my knife from my belt, but Abrax notices and disarms me instantly.

"I don't want weapons involved in this 12, I want to kill you with my bare hands. You've been showing me up since the start" spits Abrax. I knew he had some kind of vendetta against me but the games seem to have driven him even more insane; if that's possible.

I don't know how long we're fighting for, but after a while I see Jess over the shoulder of Abrax. She must have killed Patina, although I haven't heard a cannon. She's got her axe with her and is making a beeline towards us, this is our chance.

I try to distract Abrax as Jess closes in. She's gets to within 5 metres, but Abrax must notice out of the corner of his eye. He turns just as Jess is swinging and catches the handle of the axe with his hand, seizing the weapon from Jess' grasp. He kicks me away and I lose balance, falling backwards. I can only look on in horror as Abrax swings the axe towards Jess, meeting its target and lodging itself in Jess' stomach.

"Jess, no!" I cry out as she falls to her knees.

Her legs are covered in her own blood before she even hits the ground. She curls up into a ball and starts shivering in pain, her face white as a sheet. In a fit of rage, I grab my knife from the ground and lunge straight at Abrax. I must catch him off guard because I drive the blade deep into his throat before he can act. I get coated in a fountain of blood in the process but it doesn't bother me, I must have finally lost my sanity. I take solace in the sound of Abrax's cannon. I rush over to Jess' side and kneel down by her face.

"Jess, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I wish I could take your place" I scream. I think she shakes her head but it's hard to tell.

"Rowan" she chokes out, as our eyes meet for one final time. Her body goes limp and her cannon sounds. It seems like it echoes through my brain for an eternity. I sit there by Jess' side, refusing to admit that she's gone. It's only when the hovercraft wanting to claim her body arrives that I finally move away.

Now that Jess is gone I feel so alone in this arena, I just want to get out one way or another. I spot the table at the cornucopia and notice that there is one pack left. I grab it and run back to the woods. I walk for about 10 minutes before I slump down against a tree but I find no tears come. Jess would want me to keep going and win these games so that's what I'll do, no one can stop me now.

I look through the pack and find some night vision goggles and a thermal jacket. Is this what the Capitol was referring to when they said severe disadvantage? It's almost dark as it is so I put on the goggles and jacket and start trekking back towards the cornucopia. I want to end this as soon as possible.

Who's left? Nikon and myself for sure, but I'm not sure about Patina. I didn't hear her cannon but how else would Jess have gotten away from her? Suddenly I realise that I am completely unarmed, in my fit of despair I managed to forget about my bow. Getting it back is now my number one priority.

The trumpets sound and I am finally informed that Patina is, in fact, still alive. We're down to the last three now, so all truces are off. However much I don't want to, I make my way to the scene of mine and Jess' battle with the careers and find that my bow is long gone, no doubt Patina has scavenged it. I do however find Abrax's scythe, I'll have to work with that.

I eat the last of my food supplies and make my way to the cornucopia. I go inside it and decide it's best to just wait here, the gamemakers will bring Patina and Nikon to me. It's unlikely that anything will happen tonight, the Capitol will want to let the residents recoup after the drama of today. I settle down for the night and find little peace in sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

I wake up what must be quite a few hours later and find that it is still pitch dark and very cold. I would have thought dawn should have come by now. This is what the gamemakers had in mind as a severe disadvantage then, you wouldn't last long without night vision and warm clothing. I get all my stuff together and move to the mouth of the cornucopia, goggles on.

I sit there for about an hour before I notice anything odd, what looks like artificial light coming from the direction of the lake. It's moving rapidly towards me and I come to the conclusion that it's a torch. It must be either Patina or Nikon, I prepare myself for a fight.

As it gets closer, I realise why the light is moving so fast. The owner is sprinting around the lake towards the cornucopia and is being chased by something that I can't quite make out. I decide to climb on top of the cornucopia to get a better vantage point. What I see when I get up there is enough to scare the bravest of people. What looks like a giant spider is hunting down both Patina and Nikon, who are heading straight for me.

It's about 18 feet tall with enormous fangs and seems to be moving with incredible speed. I'm not sure if they're going to make it. Patina fires a couple of arrows at it (so she did get my bow) which seems to be slowing it down slightly. They finally make it to the cornucopia and scramble to the top, it was a close run thing.

"What the hell is that thing?!" I exclaim.

"Looks like a spider to me, and a giant one. We've been running from it for the last 15 minutes" explains Nikon, rather breathlessly.

"Do you think it can climb the cornucopia?" asks Patina.

"Probably, look at the size of its legs" I say.

As if the mutt heard me, it starts climbing the cornucopia and comes face to face with three tributes united against it. Nikon with his trident, Patina with the bow, and me with the scythe.

"I think we better kill this thing before turning on each other, don't you?" proposes Nikon.

Patina and I nod our agreement and get to work on the spider. Its huge and it's hard to get close but I manage to decapitate one of its legs. Patina seems to be getting the hang of the bow as she sinks two arrows into its face. Nikon on the other hand is struggling, if he uses his trident then he'll end up disarming himself if it's not a killing blow.

Whether it's brave or reckless I don't know, but Nikon decides to launch his trident straight at the spider's head. It finds its target and lodges deep, the mutt falls off the cornucopia and slumps to the ground. All three of us climb down to inspect the damage. Nikon goes to the beast and reclaims his trident. He turns around to face me and Patina.

"Good work guys, now let's get down to business" he says, assuming an attacking stance.

I immediately bring my scythe up to attack and Patina loads an arrow. All of a sudden, the spider's head rises up behind Nikon and it sinks a fang into his back. It must have been the mutt's final act, as it immediately slumps down again. The damage however, is done. It must have been extremely venomous, as Nikon immediately starts having a seizure and frothing at the mouth. Patina puts him out of his misery with and arrow. The cannon fires.

It's odd, Nikon's death doesn't seem to bother me as much as some of the others. Maybe it's because we're so similar and he was accepting of this possibility, or maybe it's because I've seen so much death that I've become desensitised to it. Either way, it's a good thing because now is not the time to break down crying.

"Looks like it's down to us district 12, I plan to hear one more cannon today" says Patina.

"As do I. Ready?" I ask.

"Ready" replies Patina.

I charge her immediately, but she's fast. An arrow lodges itself in my left thigh before I reach her, I'm lucky she's a rubbish shot. I knock her to the ground and go to bring the scythe down on her, but she sweeps my legs out from under me and I go crashing down. I land awkwardly on my ankle and think I hear a faint crack.

This time I manage to hold on to my weapon, and when Patina lunges at me with a knife I hit her hard in the chest with the wooden handle. I've knocked the wind out of her and take full advantage, getting to my feet and slashing a huge gash in her arm. She backs away in shock and launches her knife straight at me, but I dodge it and advance on her again, ignoring the searing pain in my ankle.

I swing at her with the scythe, this time cutting her stomach. I spin round and hit her in the back with the handle and she falls to her knees.

"Just, end it" whispers Patina.

I feel ashamed, what have I become. I think back to how I felt when I killed Abrax, I'm a monster. I've let the games consume me, I've failed.

"I'm sorry Patina" I say before bringing the scythe down on her neck.

I drop the scythe to the ground and collapse against the cornucopia, waiting for the cannon, waiting for the end. I just want the arena to end. I don't know myself anymore. The cannon finally goes off and the trumpets sound.

"Ladies and gentleman, your victor of the 74th annual hunger games. Rowan Everdeen from District 12" announces Claudius Templesmith.

I can hear the cheers of the Capitol citizens in the back ground and I suddenly feel sick. I throw up what seems like the entire contents of my stomach and fall to my knees, covering my head with my arms. This only makes things worse as my arms are covered in blood. The smell and stickiness makes me dry heave some more.

The sound of the victory hovercraft approaching is my savour. I can finally escape the arena, although I'm not sure it will ever leave my mind. I grab onto the ladder once it's descended and am lifted into the hovercraft. I am met by a group of doctors and they lead me to a room with a bed and hospital equipment. I feel a small pinch in my arm, followed by a cold surge before everything goes dark.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

One day eight years ago, our father had taken me and Katniss out into the woods for only the third time. He had said that he had a surprise for us and we were giddy with excitement. It took us a couple of hours, but we eventually reached the edge of the tree line and we were met with a beautiful lake.

Katniss and I immediately started a race to the water, which Katniss obviously won much to my annoyance. Father joined us and starting instructing us on how to swim, with lots of splashing and laughing involved. He also showed us a cabin on the edge of the lake, where we had a fire and cooked some of our days catch to eat. Apparently it was built by his grandfather and he said that it is an important part of the Everdeen legacy.

Around mid-afternoon, after showing us how to use a fishing rod, father said it was time we should be getting back or mother would get worried. I ran on ahead back towards the woods, but must have started in the wrong direction. Just as I got to the treeline, I heard my father's booming voice telling me to stop and stay still.

It was then that I noticed a faint buzzing. I looked towards my father, and seeing the scared look on his face, I knew I was in trouble. I looked around and saw a couple of wasp like insects flying around me, although these were much larger. I later learned that these were tracker-jackers, genetically engineered wasps created by the Capitol that had venom powerful enough to cause hallucinations and even death.

My father had gathered a branch and lit it on fire and was slowly walking towards me, telling me that I needed to stay as still and quiet as possible. I felt one of the insects land on my arm and instinctively shook it off. As soon as I had done that, two others attacked me and I must have received a couple of stings before father and his smoking stick managed to scare them off.

I starting feeling drowsy within a couple of seconds, but father gathered me up in his arms before I fell over. He started running, Katniss in tow crying her eyes out. I can remember my muscles cramping up and being in absolute agony, before it became too much and I passed out.

That was the last time I was in as much pain as I am when I wake up. My right ankle is the source and I must be crying out as a number of capitol doctors rush into the room. I hear them mumble something about wrong levels of sedation and muscle & bone replenisher before I feel the familiar cool sensation and fade out again.

The next time I wake up, I am in much less pain and am greeted by the familiar face of my mentor.

"Welcome back, you did well boy" he says.

"That's subjective" I reply.

The memories of the games are returning and I just want to find sleep again. Haymitch sighs.

"I know how you feel right now and that there's nothing I can say. Just know it will become easier over time" he says.

"And over a bottle of vodka?" I ask.

"I made that mistake, I won't let you make the same one. The doctors will be coming in to release you in the next fifteen minutes. I'm afraid that there are a few more interviews to do before you get to go home" he says.

I sigh and roll over in my bed. I think Haymitch leaves so I'm left alone in my thoughts. I've managed to survive the games and get to go home, but at what cost? Will people see me differently? I have so much blood on my hands. I can't stop picturing the deaths of Zara, of Jess, of the boy from district 6. The list goes on.

The doctors come in 15 minutes later and tell me that I'm free to go, just as Haymitch said. I leave the hospital room but have no idea where I am or where I'm supposed to go. I start walking down the corridor in a random direction, hoping to bump into someone. My wish is almost immediately granted when I walk straight into none other than Finnick O'dair coming round the corner.

"Well if it isn't our newest victor Rowan Everdeen, welcome to the club" he says with his signature cheeky grin.

"I'm not really in the mood for celebrating" I reply.

"Nonsense! Now that you have all of this wealth you can do whatever you want. I'm sure you'll want to show off to that girl of yours back home" he says with a wink.

"I actually haven't thought about Madge yet, I'm still coming to terms with everything" I say.

Finnick's expression changes to one of understanding and his eyes soften. He puts his arm around my shoulder and leads me to an elevator. Maybe Nikon was right about Finnick and the theory that how he is in the public eye is all an act.

"I'm sorry about Nikon, you must have known him quite well" I say.

"He was a good kid, but you have nothing to apologise for. He spoke highly of you, I'm sure he wouldn't hold anything against you for how things happened. Would you if the situation were reversed?" asks Finnick.

"No I wouldn't" I say.

"Exactly, there's an enemy at work here but it's not the other tributes" he whispers.

The Capitol, that's the real enemy. The blood on my hands is also on theirs, stained so deeply after 74 years that it's impossible to eradicate. Finnick puts me on the elevator and tells me to go up to the twelfth floor. I'm greeted by Portia and Effie as I step off.

"Rowan, oh you were simply amazing. I told all my friends that you were a winner, I knew the moment you were reaped!" cries Effie.

I mumble a thank you and escape her grasp before walking over and hugging Portia.

"Oh Rowan, I'm so sorry about Jess" she says.

"Jess. She's really gone?" I ask into her shoulder.

Portia doesn't say anything, she just pulls me tighter. This confirms everything and my walls come crashing down. Tears come freely and moments between myself and Jess come rushing through my memory. The jokes we shared, the stories we told. The kiss.

I don't know how long I stand there for, but Portia eventually leads me to the room I stayed in for the days leading up to the games. My room I guess. I crawl into bed and cry silently into my pillow, Haymitch said it would get easier but I can't see how. I eventually fall asleep but am plagued all night by nightmares of giant spiders and bloody corpses. Is this what my life will be like from now on? Will I ever be able to shake off memories of the games?

The following day, I am scheduled to meet Caesar for the recap of the games in the morning and will have a second, one on one interview later in the afternoon. I really don't want to go through the games again and am not looking forward to the first interview. I just want to get it all over with and get back to district twelve.

After breakfast, I'm greeted by Tetiana and am dragged away to be made up for the interviews. While they work, my prep team all go on about how amazing I was in the games and what they were doing at key points. I just zone them out and think about seeing Katniss and Prim again.

When my prep team are done, I am led to the elevator by Effie and am surprised to see Haymitch waiting for me there. Once we're in the elevator, Haymitch turns to me with a very serious expression.

"I want you to hold your tongue in these interviews Rowan. Rumour is that Snow isn't particularly happy with some of the things that happened in the arena, you've got to be careful" he says.

"Well I'm not exactly happy with what happened in there either Haymitch!" I reply.

"I'm serious Rowan, you don't want to get on Snow's bad side. You want to keep Prim and Katniss safe right?" he asks. I nod.

"Then keep your tongue, don't say anything that could be construed as rebellious. It's not long and then we'll be on the train back to district 12" he says.

I trust Haymitch, so I agree to play nicely in the interviews. We arrive backstage and I can see Caesar introducing the event. I'm suddenly nervous, what if I accidentally say the wrong thing and Snow takes it out on Katniss or Prim? I've got to do this correctly.

"Ladies and gentleman. This year's victor of the 74th annual hunger games, Rowan Everdeen!" announces Caesar.

That's my cue. I walk out onto stage and the cheers from the audience are deafening. I can hear some people shouting my name, some people asking me about Madge and I even hear Jess' name mentioned. The nerve of these citizens. I make my way to centre stage, shake Caesar's hand and sit down.

"Welcome Rowan, welcome. Congratulations on your victory. How does it feel to be back here?" asks Caesar.

"Thank you Caesar. It feels odd, I'm not sure my victory has really sunk in yet so I'm afraid I can't answer that very well. I guess I'm just relieved to be out of the arena" I answer.

"Understandable, it seemed like you didn't get a moments rest in there! Speaking of the arena, it's time for the recap. I'm sure you're intrigued as to what else was going on in there outside of your own experiences!" says Caesar.

Not really, I think to myself. I just want to forget about the whole thing and get my life back to normal in district 12. I don't say any of this of course, I'm sure president snow would be rather displeased at my disinterest of the games.

The recap is a couple of hours long and I try to take as little notice as possible without being obvious. They show the bloodbath first and it's as horrific as I imagined. The careers group together and slaughter endless tributes with a multitude of weapons. I really hope that Katniss prevented Prim from watching this.

They also spend quite a bit of time on the careers "hunting" escapades, it turns out that the tribute that lit the fire on the mountain was the girl from district 6. They then show my first kill of the boy from district 6, whose name I learn is Ollie. The audience cheers when I slam him into the tree and it makes me feel nauseous.

They then move on to the story of Zara and Jess and how they developed an alliance, although I prefer to think of it as a friendship. They work together to stay alive and out of the way of the careers, but eventually they get split up by the forest fire.

It cuts to me running away from the wolf mutts and eventually getting savaged by the second one. I then get a good view of what happened after Toby knocked me out. Jess looks pretty shocked at herself after she puts the axe in Toby's back, but quickly comes to her senses and drags me away from the scene.

Seeing how the Capitol audience reacts when watching the recap is surreal, actually enjoying watching the games is a foreign concept to anyone from the districts, except maybe district 2. When I'm finally crowned victor, the audience goes crazy and start cheering even louder than when I first came out.

Suddenly my hand is being lifted into the air by Caesar and president Snow is walking onto the stage. He walks over to me and shakes my hand, before placing the victor's crown on my head. I don't miss the look he gives me, it's one of displeasure and I am reminded of Haymitch's warnings.

"Congratulations Rowan, what a fantastic games we had this year" says president Snow.

"Thank you president" I say with a small bow. "It's a privilege to have won."

President Snow walks off stage and Caesar and I follow him quickly. I am met by Haymitch and he leads me back towards the elevator.

"Good job boy, just keep it up for a few more hours. One more interview to go and we'll be on the train back" he says.

I nod in agreement and step onto the elevator. The one on one interview will be in a few hours after we've had chance to grab some lunch. We move to the dining area but I find that my appetite is almost non-existent. I manage to eat a small amount of bread and cheese but not much more than that.

After lunch, I get changed into more casual wear and am lead to the sofas where there are cameras set up and Caesar is waiting. At least there won't be a live audience for this interview, that will make it easier to get through. I join Caesar on the sofas and he greets me warmly. I notice Haymitch standing off to the side behind the cameras and I give him a reassuring nod that I'm okay.

"Hello again Rowan, you're looking well. We're going to head straight in to the interview if that's okay?" he asks. As if I have a choice.

"Sure that's fine" I reply.

The camera lights change to indicate they're running and lighting is adjusted. Someone behind the cameras is doing some hand gestures that Caesar seems to understand, and then the interview begins.

"Well here I am sitting down with our newly crowned victor Rowan Everdeen, and how well he's looking! So Rowan, now that you've had some time to reflect, how are you feeling about your victory?" he asks.

"As I said before, the overwhelming feeling at the moment is relief to be out of the arena. I'm also starting to feel excited about seeing my family again back at district 12" I say with a smile.

"Ah of course. What do you reckon your two sisters think of your victory?" he follows up.

"Well I hope they're happy!" I joke. "But seriously, Prim will be so excited to see me again, and Katniss will probably be feeling proud that I made it through. We used to talk about what we'd do if we got reaped and really believed that either one of us would at least have a chance if we were" I say.

"How lovely, everyone here is dying to see the reunion with your family. And what about Madge, do you think she'll be there waiting for you?" asks Caesar.

"I hope she is, but that's up to her" I reply.

"There's no way she won't be there! Speaking of Madge, what about her pin? Why did you decide to leave it with Zara?" he asks.

This is a very personal question and I need to be careful here. The fact that the pin is a mockingjay is of significance as those birds have rebellious connotations. My father taught Katniss and I of how the Capitol designed mutts jabberjays were used by the districts to send back false information and how the Capitol destroyed them all. Before they could though, they had mated with the native mockingbirds and the mockingjay was born.

"It just seemed right in the moment, she had such a sweet voice and the mockingjays in the arena had been singing with her" I reply.

"It was quite a beautiful sentiment" says Caesar.

We go on for a while longer about specific events in the games, what I thought of the wolf mutts, how effective I was with my snares. Inevitably we come to the topic of Jess' death, the moment I've been dreading.

"So Rowan, we couldn't help but notice the bond you shared with your district partner Jess. It must have been horrible for you to have to witness what you did" says Caesar. I take a deep breath.

"It was awful, if I could have taken her place I would have done. I'm sorry I couldn't save her" I reply, looking directly in to the camera.

Hopefully Hamish is watching, I don't know what I'll say to him when we eventually meet. Haymitch informed me that I'm required to meet Jess' family when I get back and I've been dreading it ever since.

"I'm sure you are, you two seemed to have a special connection. Well it's been lovely talking to you Rowan, but that's the end of our interview. I'm sure I speak for the whole of the Capitol when I wish you safe travels back to district 12, I'm sure there are plenty of people waiting to see you" says Caesar.

The cameras go off and I can finally relax. I didn't realise how much the last few days have actually taken out of me. Caesar and the film crew make their way to the elevator and only Haymitch and I remain.

"Well done boy, you did well to get through that without putting Caesar through the coffee table" says Haymitch.

"I felt like doing that a few times" I chuckle.

"Only a few?" questions Haymitch and I grin at him.

"Well our train leaves in about an hour so go and make sure you've got all your stuff together and meet me at the elevator in ten" says Haymitch.

This brings a smile to my face, we're going back to district 12! I practically sprint to my room and gather up everything that I need, throwing it into my bag. I meet Haymitch at the elevator and we take it down to the ground floor where a car is waiting to take us to the train station. It doesn't take long to get there, and soon after we're on the train and moving towards district 12.

Every minute we get further away from the Capitol, the lighter I feel. It's as if the horror of the games are being left behind, at least for now. I take a seat in the living compartment and begin to think about how different my life will be now that I'm a victor.

My family and I have been gifted a house in the victors village which will be much larger than our current house in the seam. I'll have more money than I can spend, and I won't have any reason to go to school any longer. It also means that I'll never have to work in the mines, which is a worry that I guess I've always had in the back of my mind.

I'll still hunt with Katniss I think, if I don't do something then it's likely I'll get trapped in my own mind and go insane. Maybe I can buy a new pen for Prim's goat Lady, she'll love that. What about Madge? Hopefully she'll still want me, although I'm not sure whether she'll be upset with me over her Aunt's pin.

The compartment door opens and Haymitch comes in, probably looking for the bar. Now that the games are over, he's free to resume his drinking. I was told by Effie that he really did make an effort to cut back during the games.

"Thinking about home boy?" asks Haymitch.

"How could you tell? I'm just thinking about how different my life is likely to be now" I say. Haymitch nods his head in agreement.

"You're right. It will be different, and not always in a good way" he replies.

"Nightmares?" I ask.

"Among other things. The Capitol is unlikely to leave you alone for long" says Haymitch.

"Is that why you drink? The nightmares" I ask, realising that it's quite a personal question.

"Yes, but it normally just makes things worse. I don't want to see you make the same mistake as me boy, you've got family and friends to look out for you" he says.

"Thanks Haymitch, for all your help. You know you're actually not a bad person" I smirk.

"Watch it boy, I'm still your mentor!" he chuckles.

We share a drink together before I retreat to my room. The journey back to district 12 is pretty long so I decide to try and get some sleep to make it go faster. Once again I am plagued by visions of Jess' death, blood and president Snow. I wonder what Haymitch meant by the Capitol not leaving me alone for long?

After what seems like an eternity, the train finally pulls up to the station at District 12. I meet Haymitch in the corridor and we're led to a car that will take us to the town square where I will be "unveiled" to the district. I start to get anxious, I'm not really one for crowds and I'm not sure how people will react to me.

When we get to the justice building, I'm taken in through the back entrance and led through to the front where I'm told to wait behind the main door. I seem to have lost Haymitch along the way somewhere. I hear someone announcing me and then there doors are open. I step out onto the front steps and am met by thunderous cheers and applause.

I only have eyes for one group of people though, and there they are right at the front. Katniss and my mother stand together with the biggest smiles I've ever seen on either of them, and Prim is next to them sitting atop someone's shoulders; I think they're Peeta Mellark's.

I rush forward as I see Katniss and mother doing the same. Prim has jumped off Peeta's shoulders and is close behind them. I meet Katniss first and pull her into the biggest hug, lifting her off her feet.

"You came home little brother" she says with tears in her eyes.

"Of course I did sis, you taught me everything I know" I reply. She smiles at me and steps aside so that I can get to Prim. She jumps at me and I lift her up and swing her around. She starts to laugh and it's the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.

"You're back" she says after I finally put her down.

"I'm back little duck, it's so good to hear your laugh again" I say.

"Rowan, you're not going to believe the size of our new house!" says Prim as she takes my hand.

"I bet! So you're going to have to tell me what's going on with Peeta Mellark" I whisper to her.

"Shhh, I'll tell you later" giggles Prim.

I walk over to my mother and embrace her in a big hug. She tells me that she's so happy to see me again and gives me a kiss on the cheek. I start looking around for one other person but can't see her anywhere. Katniss must sense something because she breaks away from her conversation with Peeta and walks over to me.

"She's not here Rowan" says Katniss with a sad face.

"Why not? Does she hate me?" I ask, a slight break in my voice.

"I'll tell you the full story later, but it's got to do with her father. She doesn't hate you, anything but" she replies. "Come on, let's go and see our new house. Prim come on!"

"So you and Mellark hey, what's that all about?" I ask casually. Katniss blushes.

"Nothing, we started talking after you went off to the Capitol. We're kind of friends now" she replies.

"Friends, right." I say, nudging her playfully in the ribs with my elbow.

"Oh shut up Rowan, you've been back 10 minutes and your already teasing me!" laughs Katniss.

"What's going on?" asks Prim, who has appeared by our side with mother.

"Nothing!" screams Katniss quickly. Prim smirks at me knowingly.

"Okay then" she says as she takes my hand in her right and Katniss' in her left. She leads us towards Victor's Village with our mother in tow behind us and I find myself thinking that maybe everything will turn out alright after all.

**First chapter of the sequel is now published - The Hunger Games - Whispers Ablaze. I'm finding it difficult to get going but I should be able to pick up the pace once I'm through the first few initial chapters.**


End file.
